Heirloom Chile for Summer

Italian heirloom chile cultivar Corno di Toro

One of my favorite heirloom chiles that is perfect for grilling or salads is the Corno di Toro cultivar.  It’s too late to plant for this summer but farmers markets will have them now and you can set aside some seeds for next year or you can order some seeds from Burpee. The name of this Italian heirloom translates as “horn of the bull”, because of the chile’s tapered shape. The fruit ripens to a bright red as long as eight inches.  They have a sweet full-bodied flavor.  Although you can do all kinds of things with them from grilling to stuffing to sauteeing, tossing them as part of a salad is just a simple satisfying way to present them and taste their taste.  Nothing wrong with keeping it simple.  If you’ve never had them before that’s how I would do it in order to see what they’re all about.  Alternatively, and equally simple, throw them on the grill while your grilling something else and dress them only with olive oil and salt.