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Inspired by an acclaimed New York restaurant, the innovative method converts usually thrown-out external salad leaves into a smooth herbaceous emulsion. This is a ingenious approach to cut down on food waste while creating a condiment delicious and versatile.

The Reason Use External Salad Greens?

Those outer leaves are the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the tender inside lettuce. While composting vegetable trimmings is one basic sustainable habit, finding new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting surplus ingredients into fertile compost avoids landfill accumulation, where it can release greenhouse gases, a potent environmental issue.

It’s rather innovative if you think about it: produce rots and becomes that ideal soil to nourish more crops, thus closing this loop and respecting the process of life.

Yet, with more than 30% surplus food getting made compared to needed, using valuable resources efficiently is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes a increasingly eco-friendly lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable recipe works with whatever type of lettuce and nuts. Through incorporating a entire egg, you avoid any hassle to repurpose the extra egg white. This result is an creamy, rich dressing that works perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Serves two

For the Herb Emulsion (Yields about 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad leaves of 2 little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – light-colored seeds like blanched almonds help keep the bright color, but any seeds can work
• 1 medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous bunch fresh herbs (such as chives), leaves left intact, stems finely chopped

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan, toss in the external lettuce greens, place a lid and wilt for approximately a minute, mixing once or twice, until they’ve wilted. Pour the contents into the jug of a immersion blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend until smooth. As necessary, add extra nuts to get a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each gem portion with oil and acid, then season generously. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the green emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on 2 plates and enjoy right away.