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Drawing from a popular NYC restaurant, the creative technique converts typically wasted outer salad greens into an velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s a smart approach to minimize food waste while creating a condiment delicious and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Salad Leaves?

These external leaves are the plant’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inner leaves. While composting vegetable scraps is one basic zero-waste habit, finding new applications for these parts is additionally beneficial. Converting surplus ingredients into fertile soil avoids landfill buildup, where it can release greenhouse gases, a powerful climate issue.

It’s rather innovative if you consider over it: produce decomposes and transforms into that ideal soil to feed more crops, thus completing this cycle and respecting the cycle of growth.

However, with more than 30% extra food being produced compared to required, consuming precious ingredients wisely becomes essential. Minimizing waste not only saves money but also promotes a increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This versatile formula works with whatever variety of salad greens and nuts. Through using a whole egg, you avoid the hassle to use up an leftover white. This outcome is a smooth, rich dressing that pairs perfectly with salads, grilled vegetables, grilled chicken, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external lettuce greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled roasted pistachios – white nuts such as blanched almonds help maintain the vivid green, but whatever nuts can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous handful fresh herbs (such as dill), leaves picked intact, stalks finely chopped

Steps

Begin by making the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the outer salad leaves, place a lid and wilt for about a minute, mixing once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Transfer this contents into a container of a stick processor, include the nuts and egg, then process till smooth. As necessary, add extra seeds to achieve a thick consistency. Keep in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then salt generously. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.