Local, sustainable, organic food – most of it cooked in a wood-fired oven. That’s what you’ll find at Area Four in Kendall Square.

Area Four is one of the newer additions to Technology Square in Cambridge – in the neighborhood of Area IV – and it has been impressing patrons since the day it opened its doors. Serving everything from quality baked goods and coffee to local beer and salads, it’s hard to walk into Area Four and not find something that intrigues your taste buds. Oh, and 90% of their menu items are cooked in their custom-built, wood-fired ovens.

Local in Season had the honor of visiting Area Four to try their brand new Sunday dinner menu (we visited the same day the new menu launched). Served every Sunday from 2:30 – 9 p.m., the Sunday menu features wood-fired pizzas, sharable salads and starters, as well as sustainable wines and local brews, to name a few. (Side note: Area Four showcases Boston’s first sustainable wine program).

Parsnips are often described as "looking like a white carrot." But one bite will tell you, despite their relation, this root vegetable is nothing like a carrot.

I must confess: This was my first time cooking with parsnips. Somehow, I always seem to forget that they exist. Perhaps it's their pale exterior that just doesn't catch my eye? Regardless of the reason, it's a shame I didn't start cooking with them sooner.

If you're new to parsnips like I was, this soup is a great introduction to the vegetable. For this comforting, nutritious soup, roasting the parsnips is key. Roasting (well...cooking parsnips in general) brings out the vegetable's delightfully sweet flavor. Although spices and additional flavors are barely even necessary, the onions, celery, cumin and crushed red pepper flakes help to make this a savory, perfect-for-winter dish. Serve with thick slices of crusty baguette for dipping, or simply put the bowl to your mouth and slurp.