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Inspired by an acclaimed New York restaurant, the innovative method turns often-discarded outer lettuce leaves into an smooth herbaceous emulsion. It’s a ingenious approach to minimize leftovers while creating something delicious and flexible.

The Reason Use Outer Salad Greens?

These external leaves serve as nature’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. While recycling vegetable trimmings is a fundamental sustainable habit, finding new applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess food into rich compost prevents dump buildup, where they may release methane, which is a powerful environmental issue.

This is quite innovative when you consider over it: produce rots and transforms into the ideal soil to nourish more plants, thereby completing this cycle and respecting the cycle of growth.

However, given more than 30% surplus food getting produced than required, consuming valuable resources wisely is crucial. Reducing waste not only saves cash but also promotes a more eco-friendly way of living.

The Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

The versatile formula works with whatever type of lettuce and seeds. By incorporating one whole egg, you eliminate any hassle to use up an leftover egg white. The outcome is an smooth, rich dressing that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled veggies, seared poultry, pasta, or grains.

Yields two

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens of 2 little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled salted pistachios – white nuts like cashews help keep a vivid color, though whatever nuts will work
• 1 medium whole egg

For the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous handful soft greens (like chives), leaves picked whole, stems finely chopped

Steps

First making the emulsion. Heat the fat in one small pot, add the external salad greens, place a lid and wilt for about 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Transfer this mixture into a container of an immersion blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend until creamy. As necessary, incorporate more nuts to achieve the thick texture. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.

For prepare the dish, sprinkle each lettuce portion with olive oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Coat with a zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on 2 dishes and serve right away.