News
Featured Vendor: Micro Mercantes - 7/6/2009
Featured Vendor: Micro Mercantes
by Lianne Bannow, HFM Board Member
If you're looking for the flavor of Mexico close to home, you need look no farther than the Hollywood Farmers' Market.
For the past three years, HFM shoppers have been tantalized by the chicken, pork, cheese, and vegetable tamales offered by the women at the Micro Mercantes booth. For many shoppers, the wonderful homemade tamales-tasty and authentic-are a weekly treat.
Regular customers may notice that the women are not the same from week to week. Nor are the flavors absolutely identical from one week to the next.
Here's why. The women are residents of Hacienda, a nonprofit community development corporation that offers social services and affordable rental housing. Pairs of women-members of the same family, usually a mother and daughter or two sisters-rotate each Saturday to give more women a chance to participate in the Micro Mercantes program. They come from different regions of Mexico, so although the basic tamale recipes may be the same, the women add their individual touches reflecting their own culinary traditions.
As their fans can attest, the tamales are top quality. At least 80 percent of the vegetables come from farmers markets. The pork is from Gartners Meat Market. Chicken is from Gartners, New Seasons, or other local grocers.
Besides the tamales, Micro Mercantes also offers typical Mexican beverages made of natural fresh ingredients. The women prepare them using traditional methods-no shortcuts here. The selection of these aguas frescas always includes jamaica, a tea-like drink made with hibiscus flowers, and horchata, a milky sweet rice drink. Sometimes there are also pineapple- and watermelon-based drinks. Depending on what is available, other fruits can take center stage, too.
Micro Mercantes is now at nine farmers markets, but the very first one was here at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. Success at our market helped pave the way for its expansion-and for more low-income Latinas to participate. The Micro Mercantes program offers opportunities for them to earn income, since most of the profit from the tamale sales goes directly to the women's families. In fact, each tamale vendor's annual income has increased by at least 20 percent due to participation in the program. (Micro Mercantes has a short documentary on YouTube in which vendors talk about the program).
Beyond the immediate income gains, Micro Mercantes' vendors gain entrepreneurial experience that provides a path for upward mobility.
For most HFM shoppers, though, Micro Mercantes is all about the tamales. And for that, there is only one word: delicioso!
The Hollywood Farmers' Market is open Saturdays, May through October from 8am - 1pm and November 7, 14, and 21 from 9am - 1pm. We are located on NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues (one block South of Sandy Blvd).
For more information, check us out online at www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
See you Saturday!
Hollywood Farmers' Market
Featured Vendor: Micro Mercantes
by Lianne Bannow, HFM Board Member
If you're looking for the flavor of Mexico close to home, you need look no farther than the Hollywood Farmers' Market.
For the past three years, HFM shoppers have been tantalized by the chicken, pork, cheese, and vegetable tamales offered by the women at the Micro Mercantes booth. For many shoppers, the wonderful homemade tamales-tasty and authentic-are a weekly treat.
Regular customers may notice that the women are not the same from week to week. Nor are the flavors absolutely identical from one week to the next.
Here's why. The women are residents of Hacienda, a nonprofit community development corporation that offers social services and affordable rental housing. Pairs of women-members of the same family, usually a mother and daughter or two sisters-rotate each Saturday to give more women a chance to participate in the Micro Mercantes program. They come from different regions of Mexico, so although the basic tamale recipes may be the same, the women add their individual touches reflecting their own culinary traditions.
As their fans can attest, the tamales are top quality. At least 80 percent of the vegetables come from farmers markets. The pork is from Gartners Meat Market. Chicken is from Gartners, New Seasons, or other local grocers.
Besides the tamales, Micro Mercantes also offers typical Mexican beverages made of natural fresh ingredients. The women prepare them using traditional methods-no shortcuts here. The selection of these aguas frescas always includes jamaica, a tea-like drink made with hibiscus flowers, and horchata, a milky sweet rice drink. Sometimes there are also pineapple- and watermelon-based drinks. Depending on what is available, other fruits can take center stage, too.
Micro Mercantes is now at nine farmers markets, but the very first one was here at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. Success at our market helped pave the way for its expansion-and for more low-income Latinas to participate. The Micro Mercantes program offers opportunities for them to earn income, since most of the profit from the tamale sales goes directly to the women's families. In fact, each tamale vendor's annual income has increased by at least 20 percent due to participation in the program. (Micro Mercantes has a short documentary on YouTube in which vendors talk about the program).
Beyond the immediate income gains, Micro Mercantes' vendors gain entrepreneurial experience that provides a path for upward mobility.
For most HFM shoppers, though, Micro Mercantes is all about the tamales. And for that, there is only one word: delicioso!
The Hollywood Farmers' Market is open Saturdays, May through October from 8am - 1pm and November 7, 14, and 21 from 9am - 1pm. We are located on NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues (one block South of Sandy Blvd).
For more information, check us out online at www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
See you Saturday!
Hollywood Farmers' Market
