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Inspired by a popular NYC restaurant, this innovative method transforms often-discarded outer salad leaves into a velvety green emulsion. It’s an smart way to cut down on leftovers while creating something flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

Those external leaves are nature’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inner leaves. While composting vegetable trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste habit, discovering creative uses for them is additionally impactful. Converting surplus food into fertile compost prevents dump buildup, where they can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate concern.

This is rather innovative if you consider about it: produce rots and transforms into that ideal soil to nourish more crops, thereby completing the loop and respecting the cycle of life.

However, with over thirty percent surplus produce being made compared to needed, using valuable resources wisely becomes crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves money but also promotes a increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable recipe functions with any type of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating a entire egg, one eliminate the hassle to use up an extra white. The result is an smooth, rich sauce that pairs beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves two

For the Green Emulsion (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g outer lettuce leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled salted nuts – white nuts such as pine nuts help keep the bright color, though any seeds can do
• 1 medium whole egg

For the Side

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch soft greens (like chives), leaves picked whole, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one small pot, add the external salad leaves, place a lid and wilt for about 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they have wilted. Transfer the mixture into the jug of a stick processor, add the pistachios and whole egg, then process till smooth. As necessary, incorporate more seeds to achieve the mayonnaise-like consistency. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with olive oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Dress with a tight pattern of the herb emulsion, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.