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Drawing from a well-known New York eatery, this creative method turns typically wasted outer lettuce leaves into a smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant way to minimize leftovers while making something tasty and versatile.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

These outer leaves serve as nature’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. Although composting produce scraps is one fundamental zero-waste practice, finding new uses for them is additionally impactful. Converting excess ingredients into fertile compost avoids dump accumulation, where it may release greenhouse gases, a powerful environmental issue.

It’s rather innovative if you think about it: produce decomposes and becomes the ideal growing medium to feed more plants, thereby closing this loop and honoring nature’s cycle of life.

Yet, with over 30% surplus produce being produced compared to required, consuming precious resources efficiently is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes the more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The adaptable formula functions with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one entire egg, one eliminate the need to use up the extra white. The outcome is a smooth, rich sauce that works perfectly with salads, grilled vegetables, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external salad greens from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled salted pistachios – light-colored seeds like blanched almonds help maintain the bright green, but any nuts can do
• One small entire egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous handful fresh herbs (such as chives), leaves left whole, stems finely chopped

Instructions

First making the emulsion. Heat the butter in one small pot, add the outer lettuce leaves, cover and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, till they have softened. Transfer this contents into a container of an immersion blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend till creamy. As necessary, add extra seeds to get a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an sealed container in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce portion with olive oil and acid, then salt generously. Coat with a zigzag drizzle of the green emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Arrange on two plates and serve right away.