Extra Virgin Olive Oil—The Gateway to Greater Vegetable Consumption

By Amy Myrdal Miller and Suvir Saran NOTE: This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine. Do you like hummus? If so, you like vegetables. And olive oil. In fact, fresh, high quality extra virgin olive oil is what makes freshly made hummus so craveable and delicious. Yes, chickpeas and other legumes can be delicious ...

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Making Any Meal a Family Meal

By Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND My mom told me recently that she was removing the center island from our family vacation home. “Why?” I asked. “I love sitting there with family.” “I hate seeing people perching on those awful stools,” she said. “Meals should be eaten at a table!” she said officiously. And there lies one of the major ...

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Ferment and Foment: What’s the Best Diet for Dairy Cows?

By Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND National Dairy Council Ambassador AUTHOR’S NOTE: This article is the second is a series about my visit to Jasper Hill Farm in late May 2016 as part of a “Food Writing from the Farm” course I took at Sterling College. You can access the first article  here. “Our cows are fed dry hay, ...

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Big Isn’t Bad and Small Isn’t Superior: Why Food Choices Based on Size Make Little Sense

By Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND National Dairy Council Ambassador   As I’m writing this I’m enjoying a few pieces of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, a cheese I was introduced to recently during a tour of The Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont. Founded by brothers Andy and Mateo Kehler, Jasper Hill is well known for producing high ...

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Do What Makes You Oh-So Happy!

We’re celebrating the second anniversary of Farmer’s Daughter Consulting today. (By “we” I mean the cats and me. The cats are my office su-purr-visors.) I launched my company on July 21, 2014, and while the past two years have not always been easy, I can honestly say I’ve never been happier in my career. Here are some of the highlights ...

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Produce Matters: Embracing the Slow Cooking Trend

NOTE TO READERS: The original version of this article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine.   Suvir and I have been watching the slow cooking trend with great amusement. The goal seems to be preparing food faster…in a slower manner. The social mindset driving this trend is very understandable. We’re living in a very fast-paced world, and the ...

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Produce Matters: Moving More Mushrooms Onto Menus

NOTE TO READERS: A shorter version of this article originally appeared in the January 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine. Anyone who sells produce directly into large foodservice operations appreciates how challenging it is to get a chef or menu developer to agree to add your item to his or her menu. Even if the culinary team loves the concept, ...

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Produce Matters: A Dietitian and Chef Sound Off

NOTE TO READERS: A shorter version of this article originally appeared in the December 2015 issue of Produce Business magazine. By Amy Myrdal Miller and Suvir Saran   Together we’ve been exploring the world of produce for nearly 10 years, discussing and debating strategies for creating deliciousness. We’ve done this on stage at professional conferences, and offstage during leisurely meals ...

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You’re Probably Using Bad Olive Oil

Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND Founder & President Farmer’s Daughter Consulting, LLC The last time I was home in North Dakota I opened a bottle of extra virgin olive oil in my mom’s cabinet, smelled it, and determined it was awful? How? It smelled terrible. It was rancid; it put off more bad odors than road kill on a ...

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A Time for Reflection, Thanks, and Gratitude

By Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, Founder and President of Farmer’s Daughter Consulting, LLC   I launched Farmer’s Daughter Consulting on July 21, 2014, one year ago today. It was the best as well as hardest decision I’ve made in my professional life.   The best refers to the new sense of balance I’m feeling. I was meant to be ...

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