Behold the Melrose Pepper! For those of you not familiar with Melrose Peppers, they are a sweet Italian pepper, first grown in and around the Melrose Park neighborhood of Chicago.

The History

Melrose Pepper seeds were first brought to Chicago, circa 1903, by a Italian immigrant who, like many other immigrants brought seeds, plants, and grapevines with them to begin their new lives in America. Imagine choosing what to bring, and what to leave behind, as you are packing up your life to leave your homeland. These sweet peppers, crisp and fragrant, were so revered, they were selected as one of the items that couldn’t be left behind.

Many immigrants of the time settled in various neighborhoods throughout the city, but most in areas like Melrose Park and River Grove where there was ample space to grow their fruits and vegetables. The fertile soil in these areas were attractive to the Italian settlers and those seeds that traveled across the ocean soon became a favorite among other Italians. Soon, every family had their own crop of Melrose Peppers.

The Rediscovery

Two years ago, after moving to my current neighborhood of Portage Park, we became friends with the neighbor directly across the alley. Rina and her husband Nino were Italian immigrants from the Molise province of Italy and lived 11 kilometers from the town where my maternal grandfather lived, before immigrating.

One day, while chatting in the alley, Rina asked me if I would like some Melrose Peppers. She had about 40 plants along the side of her garage and quickly picked about 30 peppers and handed them to me and told me to reach out when I was ready for more.

The Memories

I ran home, inhaling their sweet aroma, and started to seed them. I was immediately transported in time to my grandmothers house. My grandfather was still alive, so I had to be about 5 years old. He was cleaning the seeds out of the peppers while my grandmother cooked them. The smell triggered so many memories, but the taste evoked images of family gathered around the table, savoring the bounties of the garden. While my family prepared them in many different ways, my favorite method is the simplest. This recipe is perfect, as an appetizer.

Melrose Pepper Crostini

Ingredients:

12 fresh Melrose Peppers

1/4 C. Olive Oil

Coarse Salt

12 slices of a baguette, cut on the diagonal

1/4 C. Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Additional olive oil for sprinkling over the bread.

1 large clove of garlic.

Step 1:

Remove the stem and seeds from the Melrose Peppers. Hint: While the peppers are fresh and crisp, push the stem inward until it snaps, and then pull out the core. Tap the pepper on the counter to drop the remaining seeds.

Step 2:

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan, coating the bottom of the pan with salt.

Step 3:

When the pan is hot, add the peppers to the pan. Cook over medium to high heat, turning as the peppers start to blister. This process should take about 20-25 minutes.

Step 4:

While the peppers are cooking down, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice 12 pieces of a baguette along the diagonal.

Drizzle a little olive oil on each slice, arrange on a cookie sheet, and bake until slightly crisp.

Arrange baguette slices on a plate and rub each with a clove of garlic.

Step 5:

Throw the remaining garlic into the pan of peppers to provide aroma and flavor during the final minutes of cooking.

Step 6:

Remove wilted peppers from the pan and arrange them on the baguette slices, topping each with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese.

The Sweet Pepper Flavor

The sweetness of these peppers, the beautiful aroma from the blistering, and the silky texture on a slice of crostini is heaven on a plate. it is fresh. It is pure. It is a gift, from an immigrant, who, so long ago, knew how special these peppers were and brought them to all of us to savor and enjoy today.

Melrose Peppers are in season NOW! Run, don’t walk, to Caputo’s on Grand and Harlem and pick up your supply today. They will remain available, in large quantities until October. I will be sharing other recipes for these, and other peppers throughout the season.

Note: These peppers, while available at Caputo’s, are still grown in the gardens of most Italian homes in Melrose Park and the surrounding areas. I saved my first seeds from Rina, and now grown them in my own garden.