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Inspired by a popular New York eatery, the groundbreaking method turns usually thrown-out outer salad leaves into a velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant approach to minimize kitchen waste while making a condiment flavorful and adaptable.

Why Repurpose Outer Lettuce Greens?

These outer greens are nature’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. While recycling produce scraps is one fundamental sustainable practice, finding creative applications for these parts is additionally beneficial. Turning surplus food into fertile compost prevents landfill buildup, where they can release greenhouse gases, a potent environmental issue.

This is rather innovative if you consider over it: produce decomposes and transforms into that ideal soil to feed more crops, thereby completing this loop and honoring nature’s cycle of life.

However, with more than 30% extra food getting made compared to needed, using precious ingredients wisely is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Green “Mayonnaise” Method

This versatile recipe functions with whatever variety of lettuce and seeds. Through using a entire egg, one avoid the hassle to repurpose the extra egg white. The result is an creamy, nutty sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, roasted vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or grains.

Yields 2

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

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g external lettuce greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted pistachios – white nuts such as blanched almonds help maintain the bright green, though any nuts will do
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch fresh herbs (such as chervil), sprigs left intact, stalks thinly minced

Steps

Begin by making the emulsion. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan, add the external salad greens, cover and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, until they have wilted. Transfer this mixture into a container of an stick blender, include the pistachios and egg, then process until creamy. If needed, incorporate extra nuts to achieve the thick texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To prepare the salad, sprinkle each lettuce portion with olive oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Coat with a tight drizzle of the green emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and serve right away.