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Modeled after a well-known NYC restaurant, the groundbreaking method transforms often-discarded outer salad greens into a smooth green emulsion. It’s an ingenious way to cut down on kitchen waste while producing a condiment tasty and flexible.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

These external leaves serve as the plant’s natural wrapping, guarding the delicate inner leaves. While composting produce scraps is a basic sustainable practice, finding new uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning surplus food into rich soil prevents dump buildup, where it may release greenhouse gases, a potent climate concern.

This is rather innovative if you consider over it: produce rots and transforms into that ideal soil to nourish further crops, thus closing the loop and respecting the process of growth.

Yet, with more than 30% surplus produce getting made compared to required, consuming valuable resources wisely is crucial. Minimizing waste not only saves money but also promotes the increasingly eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable recipe works with whatever variety of lettuce and nuts. Through using one whole egg, you avoid any hassle to repurpose the leftover egg white. The outcome is a creamy, nutty sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Green Emulsion (Yields approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external lettuce leaves from 2 little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled salted nuts – light-colored seeds like pine nuts assist keep a bright color, though whatever seeds will do
• 1 medium entire egg

For the Side

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch fresh herbs (such as parsley), leaves picked intact, stems finely minced

Instructions

First preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in one small saucepan, toss in the external lettuce leaves, cover and cook for approximately 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour this mixture into the jug of a immersion processor, add the pistachios and whole egg, then blend till creamy. As necessary, incorporate more nuts to get a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then season liberally. Dress with one zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and serve right away.