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Drawing from an acclaimed NYC restaurant, the innovative method converts typically wasted outer lettuce leaves into a smooth herbaceous emulsion. It’s a ingenious way to reduce food waste while producing something tasty and flexible.

Why Use External Lettuce Leaves?

These outer greens serve as nature’s natural wrapping, guarding the delicate inside leaves. While recycling produce scraps is a basic sustainable practice, discovering creative uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Converting surplus food into fertile compost avoids dump accumulation, where they may release greenhouse gases, a potent climate concern.

It’s rather innovative if you think about it: produce decomposes and transforms into that ideal soil to feed more crops, thereby closing this loop and honoring the cycle of growth.

Yet, with more than 30% extra food getting made than required, consuming precious resources efficiently becomes essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports a more sustainable lifestyle.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile recipe works with any variety of salad greens and seeds. Through using a entire egg, you eliminate any need to repurpose the leftover white. The outcome is an creamy, nutty sauce that works beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, pasta, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Green “Mayonnaise” (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams external salad leaves of 2 little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted pistachios – white seeds like pine nuts assist maintain a bright green, but whatever nuts can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous handful soft herbs (like parsley), leaves left whole, stems thinly minced

Instructions

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in one medium saucepan, toss in the external lettuce leaves, cover and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, till they have wilted. Pour this contents into a container of a stick blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend till smooth. As necessary, add more seeds to achieve the thick texture. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

For prepare the dish, sprinkle each lettuce portion with olive oil and acid, then salt liberally. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the herb emulsion, then top with the greens. Arrange on two plates and serve immediately.