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Modeled after an acclaimed NYC eatery, the innovative method turns typically wasted external lettuce greens into a luxurious green emulsion. This is an smart approach to minimize leftovers while producing something flavorful and versatile.

Why Repurpose External Salad Leaves?

Those outer greens serve as nature’s natural packaging, guarding the delicate inside leaves. While recycling produce trimmings is one fundamental sustainable practice, finding new uses for them is even more impactful. Converting surplus food into fertile compost avoids dump buildup, where they may emit greenhouse gases, a potent environmental concern.

This is quite radical when you consider about it: produce rots and becomes that perfect growing medium to feed further crops, thereby completing this cycle and respecting nature’s cycle of life.

Yet, given more than thirty percent surplus food getting made compared to required, using precious ingredients efficiently is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports a more sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The versatile formula functions with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. By incorporating one entire egg, you avoid the need to use up the leftover white. The result is a creamy, nutty dressing that works beautifully with greens, grilled veggies, seared poultry, noodles, or grains.

Yields 2

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g outer salad greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled salted nuts – white nuts such as cashews assist maintain the bright color, but any seeds can work
• One small whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous handful fresh greens (such as parsley), leaves left intact, stalks thinly minced

Instructions

Begin by making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in a small pot, add the outer lettuce greens, place a lid and wilt for about 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Pour the mixture into a jug of an immersion blender, include the nuts and egg, then blend until creamy. As necessary, incorporate extra seeds to get the thick consistency. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the green emulsion, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.