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Modeled after a well-known NYC eatery, this creative method transforms typically wasted external lettuce leaves into a luxurious green emulsion. It’s a brilliant approach to cut down on food waste while creating something flavorful and flexible.

The Reason Repurpose External Salad Greens?

These outer greens serve as nature’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. While recycling vegetable scraps is one basic sustainable practice, finding creative applications for them is additionally impactful. Converting excess food into rich soil prevents dump buildup, where they can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate concern.

It’s rather innovative when you think over it: food rots and becomes the perfect growing medium to feed further plants, thereby completing the cycle and honoring nature’s process of life.

Yet, given more than 30% surplus food getting produced compared to needed, consuming valuable ingredients wisely is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports the more sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The versatile formula functions with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. Through using one whole egg, you eliminate any need to use up the extra egg white. This result is an smooth, rich sauce that works beautifully with greens, grilled vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or rice.

Yields two

To Make the Green “Mayonnaise” (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams external salad greens from two little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled salted pistachios – white nuts such as pine nuts help keep the vivid color, but whatever seeds can work
• One medium entire egg

For the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (such as chervil), leaves left whole, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, toss in the external lettuce leaves, cover and wilt for about 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour this mixture into a jug of an immersion blender, include the nuts and whole egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to get a thick consistency. Store in a airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the salad, drizzle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the greens. Place on two plates and enjoy immediately.