The EPCC restaurant at the Transmountain campus now is able to use organic herbs and spices from its very own garden.
To save money, the Advisory Board Committee recommended that the Culinary Arts department start their own garden.
“It is a very big thing for EPCC,” said Julia Portillo, a culinary arts student. “It saves the school thousands.”
Portillo explained that the seeds were specially ordered from a company that specializes in exotic herbs and vegetables. She has spent countless hours in the garden for the past year and a half growing spices that are extremely hard to grow in this area.
Portillo participated by preparing the soil and removing numerous rocks and concrete before replacing it with clean organic soil.
The garden has no pesticides, so it is safe enough to pick a vegetable or herb from the ground and eat it.
“She has done a good job,” says Deas Campbell, a friend of Portillo and who is a state-certified master gardener.
Campbell also helped her friend with the creation of the garden.
The garden is located at the west entrance of the campus next to the gym and is approximately 150 square feet big. It consists of 30 different spices and herbs.
The Culinary Arts department has a restaurant at TM that serves lunch and dinner every Wednesday. It creates classical French cuisine, using the herbs and spices from the garden.
The lemon balm leaf, which smells and tastes like lemon, was used on their lemon and lime granita dish that was served last Wednesday as the intermezzo before the entrée.
Those interested in dining at the TM French Cuisine should call 831-5061 for reservations.
