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Drawing from a popular New York restaurant, the groundbreaking method transforms often-discarded external salad greens into a luxurious herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant approach to cut down on leftovers while producing something delicious and versatile.

Why Use External Lettuce Greens?

These outer leaves serve as nature’s protective wrapping, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although composting produce trimmings is a basic sustainable practice, discovering new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Turning excess food into fertile compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they can release methane, a potent environmental concern.

It’s rather innovative when you think about it: produce decomposes and becomes that ideal soil to nourish further plants, thus completing this cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

However, given more than 30% extra produce getting made compared to needed, consuming valuable ingredients wisely is essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves money but also promotes a more sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile formula works with any variety of salad greens and nuts. Through using a whole egg, one avoid the need to repurpose the leftover white. This outcome is an smooth, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled veggies, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves two

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Yields about 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce leaves from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted pistachios – light-colored nuts like cashews help maintain the bright color, though whatever seeds will do
• One medium whole egg

For the Side

• Two little gem heads, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous handful soft herbs (such as parsley), leaves picked intact, stems finely minced

Steps

First making the emulsion. Heat the butter in one small pot, add the outer lettuce leaves, place a lid and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, until they have softened. Transfer the contents into a container of a immersion blender, add the pistachios and whole egg, then blend till creamy. As necessary, add more seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a airtight jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To prepare the salad, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.