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Inspired by a popular NYC eatery, the creative technique transforms often-discarded outer salad leaves into an velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s a brilliant way to minimize food waste while making a condiment delicious and adaptable.

Why Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

These outer leaves are the plant’s natural packaging, shielding the tender inner lettuce. Although composting produce scraps is a fundamental sustainable habit, finding new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Turning surplus ingredients into rich compost prevents dump accumulation, where it can release methane, a powerful climate issue.

This is rather radical if you think over it: food rots and transforms into the ideal soil to nourish more crops, thereby completing the cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

Yet, given over thirty percent extra produce being made compared to needed, consuming precious resources wisely is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes the more sustainable way of living.

This Green Emulsion Method

The adaptable formula functions with any type of lettuce and seeds. By incorporating one whole egg, one eliminate any need to use up the leftover egg white. This outcome is a smooth, nutty sauce that works perfectly with greens, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, pasta, or rice.

Yields two

For the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled roasted pistachios – light-colored nuts like cashews assist keep the vivid green, but any nuts will work
• One small entire egg

To Make the Side

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small handful fresh herbs (such as dill), leaves picked intact, stems thinly minced

Steps

First making the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one medium saucepan, add the external lettuce greens, place a lid and wilt for approximately a minute, stirring a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Pour this mixture into the jug of a stick blender, include the nuts and whole egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to achieve a thick texture. Store in an sealed jar in the fridge for as long as three days.

For assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then salt generously. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and serve immediately.