Featured Profile

Name:
Kolby Garrison

Official Title:
General Manager of Marvin's Produce LLC

Education:
Culinary Science Degree from Johnson and Wales University

How long have you worked in the food service industry?
Believe it or not, this is my 23rd year. I spent the first 12 years cooking in restaurants in Maryland, New Mexico, and South Carolina. For the past 11, I have been in the produce business and, for the last 5 years, I have been here at Marvin's.

Favorite fruit? (This is, after all, a produce website!)
Warm, fresh-out-of-the-field peaches in the summer; apples that I picked with my family in the fall; pink grapefruits in the winter; fresh-off-the-ground (dirt and all!)strawberries in the spring.

What about vegetables?
Braised cabbage or roasted cauliflower. And I love romaine, pepper, celery, and cucumber juiced!

Any fruits or vegetables that you really hate?
Eggplant would be high on that list, but maybe I just haven't had the right one yet.

How do you feel about South Carolina local produce?
Since South Carolina is the Peach State—second to only California in production—you can't help but love our local peaches. There are also great big farms growing some of the best collards and cabbage you have ever laid eyes on, right down to a local guy growing fingerling sweet potatoes as a hobby. My garden is real local—as well as my neighbor's, with whom I share tomatoes and watermelons.

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable recipe?
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
1 lb. Brussels sprouts (halved and blanched)
1 medium yellow onion (julienned)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
6 strips thick-cut peppered bacon
1 oz. sherry vinegar
1 tbsp. agave nectar
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon till ¾ done and just getting crisp. Remove from pan, cut up, and reserve. In the bacon fat, sauté onion till caramelized, then add garlic and sauté for 15 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper, and sauté till sprouts begin to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze with sherry vinegar and agave nectar; reduce by half, then add bacon back and serve. Feeds 1 (me!), or 4 if I have to share.