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Inspired by a well-known NYC restaurant, this innovative method converts usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into an velvety green “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart approach to cut down on kitchen waste while producing something delicious and flexible.

Why Use External Salad Leaves?

Those external leaves serve as nature’s natural packaging, shielding the tender inside leaves. Although recycling vegetable scraps is one basic zero-waste habit, discovering creative uses for these parts is additionally beneficial. Turning surplus food into fertile compost prevents dump buildup, where it can emit methane, which is a powerful environmental issue.

This is quite innovative if you think about it: food decomposes and becomes that perfect growing medium to feed more crops, thereby closing the loop and respecting nature’s cycle of life.

However, given over 30% extra food getting made than needed, using precious ingredients wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing waste not only saves cash but also supports the more sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile formula functions with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. Through using one entire egg, one avoid the hassle to repurpose an extra egg white. This result is an creamy, rich sauce that works beautifully with greens, roasted vegetables, seared poultry, noodles, or rice.

Serves two

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and dried
• 20g shelled roasted pistachios – white seeds like blanched almonds assist maintain the vivid color, though whatever nuts will work
• 1 small entire egg

For the Side

• Two little gem lettuces, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous bunch soft greens (such as chervil), sprigs left intact, stems thinly minced

Steps

First preparing the emulsion. Heat the fat in one medium saucepan, add the outer salad greens, cover and wilt for about 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, until they’ve softened. Transfer the mixture into the jug of an stick processor, include the pistachios and whole egg, then process till smooth. As necessary, add more seeds to get the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in an sealed jar in the fridge for up to three days.

For assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Coat with a tight pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Arrange on two plates and serve immediately.