Kabocha and butternut squash soup

March 12, 2018 Summer Rayne Oakes

Kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) is a winter squash variety that has started to become quite popular in farmers markets and some supermarket chains. Though the skin, which is thick and knobby, doesn't look remotely edible, it ac… — Kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin (*Cucurbita maxima*) is a winter squash variety that has started to become quite popular in farmers markets and some supermarket chains. Though the skin, which is thick and knobby, doesn't look remotely edible, it actually is and provides a significant amount of fiber. The inside flesh is sweet—a sort of cross between a pumpkin and sweet potato. You can let a kabocha get quite large, which makes it look intimidating, but once you get a knife through it, it's easy to prepare!

This soup takes some time to create, but believe me—it's well worth the taste!

White roots soup with parsley root, celeriac, parsnip, and sunchokes

December 18, 2017 Summer Rayne Oakes

Parsley roots (shown here) look like a more rustic white carrot. They can be quite spindly or quite large, like the ones shown here at the McCarren Farmers Market in NYC. Their taste is delicate, often described as the cross between a carrot, parsle… — Parsley roots (shown here) look like a more rustic white carrot. They can be quite spindly or quite large, like the ones shown here at the McCarren Farmers Market in NYC. Their taste is delicate, often described as the cross between a carrot, parsley and celery. I like to get them with their tops on. Though at this stage, their tops are quite rough for garnishing a dish, they are perfect for creating soup stock. Photo: Joey L.

The white roots (parsley root, celeriac, parsnips and sunchokes) don't receive much culinary acclaim. Perhaps it's their drab colors; they are quite plain in appearance compared to their far more garish and brightly colored veggie brethren, but they offer up a range of delightful, sometimes, subtle flavors. Try this White Roots Soup, as an example.

How to make homemade vegetable stock

March 7, 2017 Summer Rayne Oakes

The beauty about vegetable stock is that there's no one "right" way to make it. You typically just toss whatever veggies and herbs you have in their, add some water, and let boil and simmer for hours on end.

No store-bought brand of vegetable stock is tastier than homemade vegetable stock. If you've been buying store brands for a while, you may be accustomed to their overly salty taste and silky mouthfeel, but it's time to get back to the basics.

Homestead Brooklyn is a project by Summer Rayne Oakes, LLC.

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