Becoming a local food advocate

That’s exactly what she did.

In 2015, Myrdal, Je Knight and Gia Rassier co-founded Ugly Food of the North, a collaborative food community that aimed to combat food waste by showing people that tiny aesthetic aws don’t a ect how fruits and veggies taste. This project later rebranded as Food of the North, with Myrdal, Rassier, Annie Wood and Amanda Booher at the helm. It continues to connect food producers and consumers through speakers, eld trips and meetups.

This work led to the trio’s Little Free Garden project, which encourages ordinary people to plant small gardens in residential neighborhoods and public spaces so the whole community can share the produce. Myrdal was also part of the team that brought the Red River Farmers Market to Fargo. Even her day job at NDSU Foundation supporting the College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources means she’s in constant contact with the local food world.

“These things are such a community of people coming together,” Myrdal says. “I don’t think I do anything by myself. It’s about building this collective of voices.”

What is Midwest Mediterranean?

This community led to Myrdal’s next project. She co-authored a book titled “Midwest Mediterranean” in 2021. The premise is simple.

“We’re taking the foods of the Midwest, adding the culinary techniques of the Mediterranean (and a few key ingredients like olive oil, which has key nutrients), and putting it into a book that really explains why we should eat this way,” Myrdal explains. “The book culminates with 16 recipes from chefs and home cooks from the upper Midwest, as well as chefs and home cooks all over the Mediterranean. It’s a sharing of two communities and two foodways.”

Myrdal’s co-authors include Noreen Thomas, owner of Moorhead’s Doubting Thomas Farms; conservationist and olive oil importer Dr. Peter Schultz; as well as William Schultz, a mental health practitioner and private practice owner. Dr. Fadel Nammour and Dr. David Clardy share how a healthy diet can aid our digestive systems and improve heart health.

Eat local

The rst step to eating better is to choose items that are as fresh and unprocessed as possible. Living in an agricultural region with deep culinary roots and access to clean lakes and rivers makes this easier.

“The Midwest o ers so many ingredients — potatoes, corn, beans, the freshwater sh we have in the waters here,” says Myrdal. “And also the tradition of pickling, preserving and canning.”

Myrdal recommends purchasing as much as you can close to home. Shopping at farmers markets, local co-ops or buying eggs, beef or vegetables direct from the producer bene ts farmers and ranchers, customers and the local economy.

“Buying local means you’re getting something that is at its peak of freshness,” Myrdal explains. “You have that opportunity to connect directly with a farmer where you can hear how they’re producing food, why it matters. And your dollars ripple through the local community. So instead of sending it out to other places, it stays here and continues to generate income for others in the community. I think local tastes better too.”

New projects like the Red River Harvest Cooperative make it even easier for busy people to buy local eggs, milk, meat, honey and vegetables from local producers all year long. Customers simply order what they want online pick it all in up in Moorhead on Wednesday evenings.

No more sad salads

One of Myrdal’s rst widely shared recipes was for a bean salad. It sparked quite a response.

“People were like, ‘This is so good, this doesn’t feel like we’re eating healthy,’” she remembers. “Someone made the reference that this was a salad that doesn’t make them feel sad.”

Big avors, lots of variety and leaving the table feeling full are the keys to avoiding sad salads. Myrdal has practical tips for getting more protein and vegetables onto our plates, no matter our budget.

“Try to get your dark, leafy green vegetables at least three times a week — and preferably once a day,” she suggests. “I’m a big proponent of grain and bean salads. It’s so versatile and it’s so economical. It’s the perfect way to eat for those that are healthminded, sustainability-minded, and it’s not out of reach for someone on a food budget.”

So experiment with adding new types of beans and grains to your pantry. You’ll have plenty of time to gure out new recipes.

“That’s the beautiful thing about grains and beans,” Myrdal explains. “If you can buy them in bulk, they last in your pantry for two years.”

Then stock up on fresh vegetables. In warm weather months, this is easy — just grab whatever’s in season. But cold weather demands a di erent approach.

“In the winter months I roast vegetables every week — potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,” Myrdal says. “I roast them all in big batches on Sunday. I’ll eat them warm on Sunday night for dinner, I’ll throw them into cold salads, I’ll heat them up and serve them with a protein.”

Add olive oil

The olive oil Megan drizzles over her roasted vegetables is also the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. This humble product has many health bene ts.

“The fat source really plays such a key role in the cuisine,” Myrdal explains. “Olive oil has such a profound impact on cardiovascular health. And there’s amazing research about the Mediterranean diet being part of a treatment for people who have depression, anxiety and other brain health conditions.”

So skip cream, mayonnaise and cheese-based sauces in favor of homemade salad dressing made with olive oil. Using olive oil instead of butter helps too. Megan recommends her co-author Dr. Peter Shultz’s Mistras Estates Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, both because it tastes great and because she’s traveled to Greece to meet the farmer who produces it. But any olive oil will do.

Connecting with community

Megan Myrdal creates easy, organic ways for people to connect and share their passion for fresh, healthy food. Food of the North’s First Friday events are a great example. These free, fun monthly meetups showcase a wide range of topics, including indigenous foodways, tips from local butchers and the best regional wine and chocolate pairings.

“I really believe that people who are passionate about food and where food is grown are the most amazing people you can meet,” she says. “That’s what really motivates me — creating spaces for other people to connect with each other.”

MEGAN MYRDAL'S

Midwest Mediterranean Pantry Essentials

Whole Grains & Rice: oats (groats and rolled), wheat berries, quinoa, couscous, farro, wild rice

Beans & Lentils: All types. My essentials are garbanzo (chickpeas), kidney, black, cannellini, and red and green lentils. I mostly use canned beans for convenience but keep dried for some recipes.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:

EVOO is the base for almost everything I cook. I buy Mistras Estates through Peter Schultz, importer.

Condiments: vinegars (balsamic, red wine, rice and apple cider), mustard (I love mustard! I seriously have eight types in my fridge), hot sauce (not exactly Mediterranean, but I love heat), lemon juice (I’d love to buy more fresh lemons, but I find that I let them go to waste so I stick with jarred lemon juice.)

Nuts & Seeds:

I eat nuts daily — for snacks, tossed in a salad, or to add a little crunch to a dish. I keep almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews and sunflower seeds on hand. I store them in the freezer to keep them fresh.

Canned tomatoes & tomato paste:

I always have these on hand for a quick pasta sauce or soup. I usually can or freeze my garden tomatoes.

Other canned goods: tuna and salmon (excellent for quick, healthy lunches), olives.

Salt & Pepper: Of course. I use Kosher salt.

Dried Herbs & Spices:

I keep a lot of herbs and spices on hand. Maybe too many. It’s hard to say my “essentials” because it really changes with the seasons or my taste at the moment. I keep a lot of classic Mediterranean herbs and spices in my pantry like basil, cumin, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme. I also love cooking with Indian and Mexican flavors, so I keep a variety of dried chili peppers, turmeric and curry powder on hand.