Brad Makes Pizza With Foraged Ramps

What'd you say the name of this was?

[Chrissy] False hellebore.

False hellebore.

Hellebore, that's gonna be our band name.

[Chrissy laughs]

[Chrissy] Hellebore!

[Brad] The Hellebores.

[fireball exploding crackle]

Hey guys, today on It's Alive

we're doing a little ramp foraging

where we're meeting up with Chrissy,

up in Western Connecticut.

Before we head back to my house, in Coastal Connecticut,

meetin' up with Sam and we're making some pizza

with the ramps that we find.

Beautiful day.

Anyone makes a sundress that might look nice on me.

I think you would look great

[upbeat happy music]

Anytime you need me to keep

the flower for you, just tell me.

[Kevin] What are we actually doing today?

[Brad] Hey guys today on It's Alive, no.

Hey guys today on It's Alive

we're here in beautiful Connecticut,

once again with the lovely,

Chrissy.

Yes.

And today we're gonna be looking for

some wild edible, a local, native, seasonal.

[Chrissy] Yes.

[Brad] The ramp.

We're gonna be doing a little ramp foraging.

Chrissy got a good lead on a spot.

Ramps although delicious and awesome,

you see them in farmers markets,

they take a long time to reproduce.

[Chrissy] Seven years.

[Brad] Yeah, seven years, and you know it's just

you have to have respect when you do find some.

You can't just get excited and take them all.

But first you have to find them, right?

We got to find them.

[Brad] I'm following you.

[Chrissy] Alright let's go.

[Brad] Where are you going?

[Chrissy] I'm just checking down here real quick.

[Brad] Yeah, this looks like a real good spot.

[Chrissy] It's really random.

[Brad] Real good spot, Kev.

[Chrissy] But I think, uh.

[Brad] I'm getting good vibes here.

Turkey vultures, savage.

[Chrissy] A little detour.

[Brad] A little grass false alarm, bud.

That's what you are looking for Kev.

Just a real nice big, healthy big green dark patch.

That one turned out to be grass,

but its the name of the game bud.

[Chrissy] I swear we're getting close.

[Brad] Nice leg work Kev.

Car!

Oh my goodness! Get the camera!

[camera shutters clicking]

[Chrissy] What, no [beep] way!

He found a morel,

I'm sorry this is a really big deal

[camera shutters clicking]

These are morel mushrooms.

[Brad] Everyone I find is like,

oh my God, it's a miracle.

I betcha they're everywhere

[Chrissy] Yeah, now I'm...

[Brad] I betcha the sound guy's steppin' on them

[Chrissy] And everyone's having a hard time

finding them this is so exciting.

You keep an eye out for ramps

I'll keep the hot eye for the fungus

[Chrissy] You have a good eye for them.

[Brad] I say we get off, the beaten trail a little bit.

[Chrissy] Yeah, the way I learned to

look for ramps was to look by,

where there's water, where sandy shores meet,

nutrient dense canopied forest.

That's a beautiful sentence.

There we go. Ramps.

Let's take a hike.

Covering the green bud

all right, we found some ramps

we're in the green, all right?

Let's go, let's go check them out.

Oh they're all over the place

[Chrissy] They're all over, they're popping up

[Triumphant orchestral music]

This is what you're looking for, right?

This is a good sized ramp.

These, something's been nibbling on these.

Oh, yep.

Everyone wants to eat 'em.

But, this size patch, I mean, for me,

I don't need to harvest or pick from this patch.

It's too small.

Let it repopulate, let it really start to,

when it starts to become the size of like, here.

[Chrissy] When this fills up.

[Brad] Yeah, then you can come in and,

and do a little bit of picking.

My kind of rule of thumb,

when you can look around

in a 360 degree, and like for 40 feet in every direction.

See ramps.

There's ramps.

You can pick 'em.

Then you can pick some.

I just wanna keep looking.

[Chrissy chuckles]

Like you just want to find the biggest ramp patch.

There's a nice healthy one.

[Chrissy] It is.

So yeah, we just want to clear it off

and just kind of see the whole plant, you know.

And when you do go picking them,

don't just be going in like a big claw

and just start grabbing things, you know.

Like, even though these things are rather resilient,

point of the matter, point being,

there's a nice way to harvest these.

If you're going to pull or cut leaves off,

I kind of like to do it right where it starts to split,

like a little bit above, right?

This is a nice mature one, right?

Kind of that late in the season of it.

Here, Chrissy.

[Chrissy] Right there?

[Brad] Yeah.

[Chrissy] All right, I'll do it your way.

A little bit of an angle there.

[Brad] Yeah that's beautiful.

[Chrissy] Going in at a little bit of an angle

because that's the way Brad Leone does it.

And here we are.

Right or wrong.

Oh my God, oh my God.

I hate spiders.

[Chrissy] Oh my God, oh my God.

[both screams]

[Brad] Get them off me!

[Chrissy screams then chuckles]

[Chrissy] That was terrifying, I'm good on that.

[Brad] Like come on dude,

what did you think I was, a rock?

[Chrissy lauhs]

Classic ramp, I mean,

whether the stem is red or white,

just that big kind of dark green, broad, peppery leaf.

There's a few things that look like it,

but if you're ever in doubt just kind of

crumble up a leaf in your fingers.

And you'll smell it.

I love the greens, you know.

Yup.

You feel like you're eating,

this is going to sound stupid.

It feels very like a green, you know.

Yeah.

But it's a mixture of like a

mustard green, and a scallion, and a garlic.

I think I can say,

I think we've finally found a patch where,

when you look around, they're kind of,

they're everywhere, you know.

[Chrissy] Yeah.

Where I start to feel comfortable being able to,

you know, think about starting to take, to harvest some.

And these look like a nice mature size.

[Chrissy] That looks like a mature patch yeah.

It's such a beautiful plants.

I like to snip 'em, what?

[Chrissy] Right about there, right by the white.

[Brad] Right where it starts to turn white.

[Chrissy] Exactly, I like to cut.

On an angle, or straight? Don't matter?

[Chrissy] It doesn't matter.

Oh, it smells so good.

[Brad] So like it, with some plants, right?

If you're just taking leaves like that,

you know, leave one.

[Chrissy] Leave one.

[Brad] Yeah. And then move on,

like you don't just take one

from each in this whole.

Just move around,

especially if you have some real estate here

and there's a lot of plants, just break it up

so you're not just stressing the whole area.

[Chrissy] Exactly.

Such a beautiful.

It really is.

And it's only in the spring.

And I mean, throughout, it's goin,

I mean I think you can get 'em,

they find 'em out in the you know,

in the Midwest and then

maybe even parts of Canada.

But I do believe they are indigenous

to the Northeast of North America.

[Chrissy] They are, yep.

Oh my god.

I could eat handfuls of them.

I love that.

They are a little bit hard on the stomach,

but they're delicious.

You eat about, you know, fifteen leaves,

tomorrow you have no problem going to the bathroom.

[Chrissy laughs]

I mean, I'm telling you.

[Chrissy] It is what it is.

It's good for you.

All right, so Chrissy, thank you again

for sharing this spot with me.

It's such a beautiful area.

Yeah, of course.

And a beautiful day.

We've found some morels,

we got a pretty healthy haul of the ramps.

I mean for what we're doing, I never really,

I just pick what I'm going to be using

for the next two days, right?

And I got a little wood fired pizza oven going.

And my friend Sam's going to meet us,

I got some doughs all set up.

Yes.

I say we just go cook.

Let's go cook what we...

[Chrissy] Let's go make some pizzas.

[Brad] Yeah, kind of a perfect day.

All right, we're back at my house.

Chrissy joined me.

Yes, woo!

And the lovely Sam as well.

We're going to have a little pizza party.

We got our ramps and some other ingredients.

We got a little bread oven going

that I fixed up over the weekend.

And it's just working out really well.

So, lets make some pizza's, guys.

[Chrissy] Yeah.

[Brad] Well guys, we got our dough.

I made a nice little sour dough,

I know you Chrissy said you did too.

And Sam your joining us from Connecticut,

you grew up in Connecticut, right?

I grew up in Connecticut, I did.

But now I live in Brooklyn.

Oh cool.

But I'm happy to be back.

Yeah, beautiful day. We're glad could you make it.

Me too.

We can only fit one or two at a time.

Cause it's kinda of like,

one of them old 1750's Beehive.

[Sam] That's so cool.

[Brad] Yeah it's so cool. I can't wait to show you guys.

[Chrissy] I'm excited to see it.

[Brad] I've had the fire on for like a day and a half.

I wanted to give all the stones

nice and hot.

Just don't walk away because it will, just like a pizza.

It will [explosion sound].

[Sam] It's hot then?

[Brad] It's probably 5.

[Sam] 500, yeah.

If its only a couple of minutes.

[Brad] 463.

[Sam] Okay cool.

[Brad] It's only one rule at this pizza party,

is that you got to put ramps on it.

[Sam] Do blanch them before you put them on pizza?

Or do you just put them straight?

No.

No?

I've never blanched a ramp in my life.

[Sam laughs]

I've seen in previous footage of Brad

was chomping on them.

[ominous music]

I don't, I've never actually

had one just like out of the ground.

Oh, you should try.

No better time than now, Sam.

Go ahead and try it.

[ominous music]

Oh, its sweet.

[Brad] Yes.

[Chrissy] It's very nice.

It's sweeter than I thought it would be.

It's in that onion, garlicky.

Leek.

It's very familiar leek.

Leeky.

[Chrissy] That's exactly.

They're all in the same family.

I'm gonna have the worst breath in the whole world.

Yeah, me too.

I eat raw garlic. The first thing I had

this morning was raw ramps.

Let's get close.

You're in the club.

[everyone laughs]

So who wants to go first?

Who wants to shake, because we're going

to fit one at a time?

Or I'll go, I don't care.

All right, I'll go.

I'll break the ice.

[alternative rock music]

I like to, um...

Stretch?

Stretch it a little bit.

But then I like to go in with my

little French style...

Oh, oh, no, no, no, no!

[slow motion audio]

You don't like the French rolly?

On your pizza?

Yeah.

I do it, but.

I mean, I like perfection.

You worked at a pizzeria.

Yes, we definitely.

[Sam] Did you use a rolling pin in a pizzeria?

[Chrissy] We did.

[Sam] Okay, then.

[Chrissy] We did.

But no one in Italy is rolling

their pizza, are they?

[Chrissy] Oh probably not, maybe.

[Sam] We're not in Italy.

[Chrissy] I'm not Italian, baby.

I'm Jamaican.

[everyone laughing]

Because you roll whatever you want, right?

[everyone laughing]

I always build it on a peel.

I know that's like.

Really?

A pizza no no.

Yeah, because then it gets all,

it might get wrinkled.

And getting it on?

Yeah.

I don't, I don't do that.

You build it on the peel?

Yeah, I do too.

Yeah. Nah, nah guys that's not my style.

All right you can put it on the peel.

[Chrissy] I'll put it on the peel.

[Brad] That scares me.

I've screwed up so many times.

[Sam] That looks good.

So, this is some ramp pesto I made.

I use some nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes,

about 24 blanch ramps that will just

kinda of mellow it out a little.

A little arugula so it cuts it a little bit.

Ramps are still the main.

Flavor.

Main flavor here.

And olive oil, pine nuts that were toasted.

These are sun gold tomatoes actually

and there some chunks of garlic

and lots of olive oil in there.

[Sam] Oh, ramps.

[Chrissy] Yeah were just gonna.

[Brad] Little torn.

[Chrissy] Do a little torn ramps, like basil almost.

You know. Just get it in there.

[Brad] And unlike basil, it does, it cooks well.

[Chrissy] It does.

Look how pretty that is.

I am so nervous how long that's sitting there.

[Sam chuckles]

And like I'd be so scared to put that on the.

You know your funny.

No, no, no. You're right.

You're doing it the correct way.

Just do it. I have a 100% faith in you.

I have actually, honestly

never seen anyone build a pie on the peel.

If it's incorrect.

It's for wimps, Yeah.

[everyone laughs]

Yeah, it's definitely incorrect.

[Sam] Your totally gonna do it.

You're set off.

Oh come on!

[Sam clapping]

[Chrissy] Da da daaa!

[Chrissy laughing]

Nice work.

Okay, here, here.

Do you want to take this?

No, no. It's your pie, man.

Pie is going in.

[Brad] Follow me.

This thing is as tall as I am.

[Brad] Oh yeah.

To be honest.

[Brad] My Beehive oven that I have been fixing up.

And it's working on now.

Wow.

Now if you can't see,

because your eyes are probably screwed up

from the being outside.

That sure is exactly what happens.

[Brad] So look.

I place it kinda of right there.

Careful. Right in that center.

[Brad] Yeah do you thing.

You got this, pizza lady.

Ooh! That was kinda of perfect.

That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

[Brad] Get in there Kevin, come on.

[Chrissy laughing]

[Chrissy] Do you see any spotting underneath, not yet.

So it's got to stay.

If you move it too quick.

[Brad] It screws it up.

[Chrissy] Screws up, yeah.

And it gets hot, obviously like by that.

Move it. Move it in the back.

[Chrissy] Yeah that's what I'm trying to do.

Let's get it in that corner.

Yeah, it's getting there.

[Brad] Look at that thing.

Yeah, easy 5-6 minutes.

[upbeat music]

Your looking and it ain't cooking Chrissy.

[upbeat music]

[Brad whistling]

[upbeat music]

Oh, you want the peel?

Oh, you got it.

Got it even on the mini one.

[Brad] Beautiful.

[Chrissy] I like that.

[Brad] I like that.

[Chrissy] Here we go, here we go.

That looks amazing.

[Brad] Right?

Just 6 minutes.

5-6 minutes.

[Sam] It's so bubbly.

[Chrissy] It's big, Here we go.

[Brad] I'm so scared.

Oh wait are you going to do it, you're gonna do it.

On the peel, I'm going to do it.

You're going to do it on the peel?

No I'm gonna try it, her way.

The right way.

So your gonna leave me.

It's time to step up Brad.

So I have this nice morel mushroom,

that Chrissy and I found.

You're more than welcome to use it.

I'm gonna slice a little bit up.

So I mean that's the beauties of foraging.

Is that your out there looking for ramps

and before we found any,

you know we just pulled over

and I saw one beautiful morel.

He found a morel.

I'm sorry this is a really big deal.

And then me and Chrissy we were,

it's like finding a present.

You get very excited.

At least I do.

Beautiful one too, right?

Wow.

One of my favorite mushrooms.

[belling ringing]

Okay cool.

And then I'm gonna do a little parm

and some some olio oil.

Do we have any olio oil?

I'm using Chrissy's.

Oh, tomato oil.

Yeah.

[Chrissy] Nice tomato oil is really good.

[Sam] That sounds good.

Right, so what are you putting on there?

[Brad] Ramps and morels.

I have the Northeast.

[Chrissy] Do you want any olives?

[Brad] Nah, green olives.

I'm gonna do some lemon and some ricotta.

Get over here.

Oh, the lemon is flying away.

Everything, it's windy.

[Chrissy] Oh yeah, get that parm in there.

[Brad] Oh I have difficult times here. I've got to go.

[Sam] What?

Ready? You gotta go.

[drum roll]

Ah there you go.

We got a strength and confidence, for sure.

That's it.

[Brad] Let me through one more morel in.

All right were going.

Do it.

Kevin!

[Sam and Chrissy talking in the background]

Hey mom!

[bell dings]

Oh it worked!

[crowd applauding]

[Brad] Did you see that?

It farted ash on my pizza.

[door creaking and closing]

All right Kev, don't let me go anywhere.

Tell Sam we need a minute.

[upbeat music]

[Chrissy] All right, what flavors

would be good together?

Is there parm?

There is.

Oh sweet. Cheese, pepper.

So I used some of Chrissy's delicious

tomato oil on the bottom.

And then I put some whole milk,

fresh mozzarella, some ricotta cheese

and I added a little lemon zest

to the Calabrian chiles,

the ramps and some parm.

There you go.

[cash register dings]

[Chrissy] Beautiful.

No prob.

Yeah, I think like right.

Try anywhere, where it will fit.

And then just, but try to get it semi close so

that we can get it to set up a little.

Cool that was great.

All right, let's close it and let it bake.

I think we are in a safe spot.

And this is gonna sound weird, like really weird.

But I kinda like wish I was wearing your dress.

[Sam laughing]

[Sam] Why?

It just looks so comfortable, oh my God!

I have like five of them, because...

I've said it for years,

I think I'm just gonna start wearing sun dresses.

It's time, its 2021.

[joyful music]

Mine's done, I'm gonna bring it out.

Okay.

[Brad] And I'll come back with the peel.

[Sam] Okay.

Sam you're in charge.

All right pizza coming up, beb.

All right.

[Sam and Brad laughing]

Right here, beb.

Look at that thing huh.

[Chrissy] Yeah you even got, oh...

[Brad] Oh you like that.

[Chrissy] Oh perfect timing.

I'll put mine over there.

Look at me.

[Chrissy] Yes, pizza king.

[Brad] Looks like pizza.

This is a slice joint.

7.95 a slice, two slice minimum.

[everyone laughing]

Nice, nice work.

Little pizza machine.

[Chrissy] That's it.

[everyone laughing]

[Sam] Little pizza machine, that's a good nickname.

[Brad] That is definitely her new nickname, Pizza Machine.

[Chrissy] Some cherry tomato blobs on there.

[Brad] Yeah that was huge.

Big move with the cherry tomatoes.

I like that, about you did a little homework before.

Roasted them.

I like that.

Let's taste them.

Shall we?

Okay.

I'm mean not to be weird, I'm gonna try mine first.

Yeah, nah that makes perfect sense.

I don't mind of course.

It's good.

I'm not even lying for TV.

I don't believe you anymore.

[Sam laughing]

[Chrissy] The ramps actually mellowed out further

during the cooking process.

And they just balance out really, really nicely with the

sweetness of the roasted cherry tomatoes.

[Brad] A little ricotta bomb, she did not.

Or is that the tomato? Or is that all Calabrian?

[Sam] That's chile.

[Brad] Oh its all chile.

Yours under the cheese did like magical thing,

because the fat, it kinda of like poached in fat

on top of bread.

[Chrissy laughing]

[Sam] And I put feta on the bottom.

I mean, I just want all.

I want all the dairy.

All the time.

[Brad] With bread kinda wants it, right?

[Sam] Cool.

[Chrissy] There very unique, I love them.

[Brad] They're the best, ramps.

[Sam laughing]

Hug them.

Well Sam and Chrissy thank you guys for coming up

and cooking with me, and going foraging with me,

and learning with me, and being able to share

our you know, our knowledge a little bit about ramps

and cooking with folks, you know.

Especially, something like ramps where is,

it's such a fun and awesome seasonal ingredient.

But it needs to be respected.

Where ever you are, just do a little research about

how the population of what ever your looking

for is in that area.

Follow the rules and regulations,

do a little homework and then enjoy.

And make pizza in nature with your friends.

Bon appetit.

All right, get out of my house.

Literally, all right?

[Kevin] Yeah, have that be the first word.

All right, all right, all right.

All right, so we... [laughing].

All right, so we here in...

I can't do that.

All right.

All right, okay that's how you...

All right.

All right , so we...

Sorry, sorry, sorry everyone.

[upbeat music]