Melrose Peppers... A Chicago Staple

I'm not that much of a pepper person... usually I'll eat them only in salsa.

For me, green peppers have such an overpowering flavor. I am picky about my peppers.

There is one little, tiny exception... the Melrose pepper!

This is an heirloom pepper, famous in the Melrose Park area of Chicago. This is an Italian pepper, about 4'' long which is perfect for stuffing. It is sweet and full of flavor. They are green but turn red quickly. I found these seeds in my Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook and ordered them from a friendly gardener. I started a few seeds inside and then moved them to the gardens. They have done well this year!

To this day, Chicago area grocery stores proudly announce their arrival. Grandma Nancy is a big fan, and usually buys enough to freeze and make stuffed pepper dishes. We went over to the Coach house one day, and she offered us some of these. I was hooked!

Adam made a stuffed pepper dish with these. He stuffed them with fresh mozzarella, cooked pork sausage, and covered with my homemade canned red sauce (all fresh ingredients from the garden). Add a little grated mozzarella and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Delicious!