Wash, dry and halve three pounds of small Brussels sprouts. Peel and seed a medium butternut squash, cut into similar size pieces as the sprout halves. Put all into a roasting pan, so that all the vegetables are in a single layer. Top with one diced yellow onion and 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Drizzle liberally with good, peppery,local (Suisun Valley is what I use) olive oil and sea salt. Toss to coat. Roast the vegetables at 400 degrees about 15 minutes or until fragrant and carmelized well. Hot from the oven drizzle with good balsamic vinegar to taste and dot with Roaring 40's Blue Cheese. Serve warm.

I am lucky to live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my Husband Troy and four year old Slow Food Advocate, Lucia Marie. We live between the East Bay and Napa near Suisun Valley where there are lots of organic farms. Even so, sometimes I cannot find what I want, I am a Chef by profession, so I tend to be pickier than most, so my daughter and I often drive or take the bus into Berkeley to the Farmers Market (ours ends in October). We make a day of it going to Acme for our weekly bread and Cafe Fanny for Cafe Au Lait and warm chocolate in a big girl bowl! My daughter loves walking the market with me, meeting the farmers and tasting their wares. She absolutely understands how good everything tastes and is for her, and really relishes new flavors and textures. I am so fortunate that we share this love for local food! I also, during our trips, buy produce, bread and other local food items for use at my work at Seneca Center for Children and Families(www.senecacenter.org). I am so lucky that the administration supports my passion for great, organic, locally produced product and they give me absolute freedom to write menus and produce them accordingly. I was lucky enough to attend Terra Madre and volunteer at Slow Food Nation this year. These two huge events have just continued to stoke my passion for quality local products, children's school and community gardens, sustainable agriculture and gathering at the table. My little family and I are hoping to relocate to Berkeley in the next year, so that my daughter can continue her love of local culture and food when she starts school in September 2009.