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Modeled after a popular NYC eatery, the creative technique transforms often-discarded external lettuce leaves into a velvety herbaceous emulsion. It’s an ingenious way to reduce kitchen waste while making a condiment tasty and adaptable.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Salad Leaves?

Those external leaves serve as nature’s natural packaging, guarding the delicate inner lettuce. Although recycling vegetable trimmings is one basic zero-waste habit, finding creative applications for them is even more beneficial. Converting excess ingredients into rich soil avoids dump buildup, where they can emit greenhouse gases, a potent environmental issue.

This is rather innovative when you consider over it: produce rots and becomes the ideal soil to feed further plants, thereby completing the cycle and honoring nature’s process of growth.

However, with more than 30% extra produce getting made compared to required, using valuable resources efficiently becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable recipe functions with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one entire egg, you avoid the need to use up the leftover egg white. The outcome is an smooth, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, noodles, or grains.

Yields 2

To Make the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams external lettuce greens from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled roasted nuts – white seeds like pine nuts help maintain a bright green, but any nuts will do
• 1 small entire egg

To Make the Salad

• Two romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 small handful soft herbs (like chervil), leaves picked intact, stalks finely minced

Steps

Begin by making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in a medium pot, add the external lettuce leaves, place a lid and cook for about a minute, stirring once or twice, till they have softened. Pour the contents into the jug of a stick blender, include the pistachios and whole egg, then process until smooth. As necessary, add extra seeds to get a thick texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each gem half with olive oil and acid, then salt liberally. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and enjoy right away.