Shortly before its 9 a.m. opening on Saturday, Oct. 18, Fred Block of Blocks Stand and Greenhouse stood behind a yellow chain across the open-air market and gave the crowd of anxious customers an update on its crop of a specific red pepper.
The market in Romulus, at the corner of Eureka and Middle Belt, had bins of the red peppers on Saturday, with more expected to be available on Sunday, but Block told the crowd to "Call at around 5 p.m. today to check." Block also said the fall crop of these beloved peppers will likely last only a few more days.
Customers from all over metro Detroit lined up behind the yellow chain, eager for the peppers. Once Block unhooks the chain, customers rush to the bins for the market's prized red peppers. It happens every fall, Block told the Free Press, as customers pushing shopping carts scurry in to grab a spot at one of the large, cardboard bins filled with peppers.
But these are not any red peppers. Fall is when the open-air market's "shepherd" red pepper crop is in full swing. While the pepper is loved by many cultures, its roots are well known in the Europe's Balkan regions. Once at the bin, customers quickly grab peppers, some by handful, tossing them into the shopping carts. While carts fill quickly, within minutes, the bins are three-fourths empty. But before customers head to the checkout, there's another process.
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