If you’re from the Chicagoland area chances are you know all about Melrose peppers, the much loved and coveted heirloom peppers that are thinned skinned and extra sweet.
Each year in August they start to appear and word spreads quickly as to where they are. I’ve featured them several times over the years here on my blog, sometimes simply sautéed and sometimes stuffed but this will be my first time featuring them in a salad.
It’s the perfect time to make this salad with the summer abundance of perfectly ripe tomatoes and farm fresh Melrose peppers, it’s a match made in heaven!
I realize not many people are familiar with Melrose peppers so let me give you a little background.
They came to be called Melrose peppers because as the story goes, many years ago a family from Calabria Italy eventually settled into a suburb of Chicago called Melrose Pk. They brought with them the seeds of this very special, thinned skinned sweet pepper. They quickly became popular among gardeners in the Italian community and then soon after that they started appearing in all the fruit and vegetable stands, and the rest is history. I was recently told that these peppers go by the name, peperoni di Senise.
If you can get your hands on them you’re in for a real treat!
If you’re unable to find them you can still make this recipe using those colored, mini sweet peppers, the ones you usually find in a bag.
This salad ticks all the flavor senses with layers of vine ripened heirloom tomatoes topped out with roasted Melrose peppers, briny olives, sharp cheese and sweet red onions, all you’ll need is a hunk of bread!
I hope you recreate this Melrose pepper salad in your own home this summer and become a devoted fan like me!
- 2 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes, preferably different varieties.
- 7 or 8 roasted Melrose peppers ( or mini sweet colored peppers if using them)
- 8 oz. of asiago, fontinella or provolone cheese, small chop
- ½ red onion, small dice
- 2 handfuls each of kalamata and castelvetrano olives, sliced
- fresh chopped basil
- olive oil
- Rinse, dry and remove the stems and seeds from the peppers.
- Roast the peppers at 375F drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast them til tender and slightly golden, then cool them down.
- Slice the tomatoes and arrange them single layer on a nice platter and sprinkle with salt.
- Place the cooled down roasted peppers on top of the tomato slices.
- Scatter the sliced olives, onions and cheese all over and around.
- Add the chopped basil.
- Finish the salad off with a generous drizzle of good olive oil all over.
- Enjoy!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
Thank you for this blog! I have these peppers growing in my garden in Chicagoland. They were simply labeled “Italian peppers.” Great to know their history. And yes, my family loves them!