Melrose Peppers -- How/What to cook?

I'm growing Melrose peppers this year (they looked kinda fun when I was at the garden store). However now they're starting to get ripe and I realized I have no good recipes for them.

I was thinking of sauteing them in a little garlic, olive oil and salt. Then dump in some crushed tomatoes and italian sausage to make a good sandwich.

any other favorites?

Also I'm getting a TON of green peppers. Open for any good recipes for those too.

I like to rub a little oil on them and then throw them on the grill. I also saute in olive oil and garlic, but don't add the tomatoes, as I think they hide the flavor.

cut the tops off and stuff them italian sausage, than coat with a little olive oil, grill them or put them in the oven for a couple.

Hi,

I guess I never paid attention to Melrose peppers. I was at Caputo's in Lake Forest, where they only vegetable for sale are Melrose Peppers. They were priced around $2.99, which is pricey for a pepper.

Last night I was at an Italian restaurant where there were menu items featuring Melrose peppers, if in season.

What is so unique and special about Melrose peppers?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:
What is so unique and special about Melrose peppers?

Sweetness, hardiness, relatively thin skin with virtually no tough or bitter ribs, and as far as it's told in my family, a product of Melrose Park, now known and cultivated wherever Chicago-passing Italians went. My brother has a garden full in Savannah, Georgia. They're just big enough for stuffing, they sautee or roast quickly with sausage, caramelize beautifully, and keep on the counter a bit longer than bell peppers (they dry nicely, too). Caputo's sells the plants and seeds in addition to the peppers in season, carrying on the Tom Naples tradition. Foodtown (RIP) had the seeds as well. Here are two links (YMMV) with some observations, theories, and a history from the Quagliata tribe (former neighbors of some of my fam):

http://home.comcast.net/~suzyq9/MarioQPeppers.html

http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/20 ... thing.html

Regarding origins, MariaQ speculates, "The truth is probably a marriage of those two stories" (both overviewed in her piece). I think she underestimates the number of stories out there. Last year at Taste of Melrose Park (coming again this Labor Day weekend!), I spoke with two other families, both of whom claimed authorship for this pepper.

Tragically, my four Melrose Peppers plants were destroyed by this spring's cold, wet weather.

The Melrose Pepper is thin and leathery, so it stuffs well and is less likely than some others to fall apart when cooking.