🔗 Share this article

Inspired by a popular New York restaurant, this creative method converts typically wasted external lettuce leaves into a smooth green emulsion. This is a ingenious way to minimize kitchen waste while creating a condiment flavorful and adaptable.

The Reason Use Outer Salad Leaves?

These external leaves are the plant’s natural wrapping, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although composting produce scraps is a fundamental sustainable habit, discovering creative uses for them is even more beneficial. Turning excess food into rich compost prevents dump buildup, where it may release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate concern.

This is rather radical when you consider over it: produce decomposes and becomes the perfect growing medium to nourish further plants, thus completing the cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

Yet, given more than 30% extra produce being made compared to required, using precious ingredients wisely is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves cash but also supports a more sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile formula functions with any type of salad greens and seeds. Through using a entire egg, you eliminate any hassle to use up the extra egg white. The result is an creamy, rich dressing that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce greens from 2 little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted nuts – light-colored nuts like pine nuts assist keep a vivid green, though any seeds can do
• 1 small entire egg

To Make the Side

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (like dill), sprigs left intact, stems finely minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one small pot, add the outer salad greens, cover and wilt for approximately a minute, mixing a couple times, until they’ve wilted. Transfer this contents into the container of a stick blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend till smooth. If needed, add more nuts to achieve the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on two dishes and enjoy immediately.