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Inspired by a well-known NYC eatery, the groundbreaking technique converts often-discarded outer salad greens into a smooth herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant way to minimize food waste while making something delicious and flexible.

Why Use Outer Salad Greens?

Those external leaves serve as nature’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inside leaves. Although recycling produce scraps is a fundamental zero-waste habit, finding new applications for these parts is additionally beneficial. Turning excess ingredients into rich compost avoids dump accumulation, where it can emit greenhouse gases, a potent environmental concern.

This is quite radical when you think about it: food rots and becomes that perfect soil to feed more plants, thereby completing this loop and honoring the cycle of life.

Yet, with more than 30% surplus produce getting produced than required, consuming precious resources efficiently is essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

This versatile formula functions with whatever variety of lettuce and seeds. Through incorporating a entire egg, you avoid any need to repurpose an leftover egg white. This outcome is an creamy, rich sauce that works perfectly with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

For the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external lettuce leaves of 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and dried
• 20g shelled salted nuts – white nuts like pine nuts help maintain a vivid color, but whatever nuts can work
• One small whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem heads, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous bunch fresh greens (like chervil), leaves picked intact, stems finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Heat the fat in one medium saucepan, toss in the outer lettuce greens, place a lid and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, till they have softened. Pour the mixture into the container of an stick blender, include the pistachios and egg, then process till creamy. As necessary, add extra seeds to achieve the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the greens. Place on two plates and serve immediately.