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Inspired by a well-known New York eatery, the innovative technique transforms usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into an velvety green “mayonnaise”. This is an brilliant approach to reduce food waste while creating a condiment tasty and versatile.

Why Use Outer Salad Leaves?

These external greens are the plant’s protective wrapping, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. Although recycling vegetable scraps is one fundamental sustainable habit, finding new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting surplus food into rich soil prevents landfill buildup, where it can release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful environmental issue.

It’s quite innovative if you consider over it: produce rots and becomes the perfect growing medium to nourish further crops, thereby closing the loop and honoring nature’s process of growth.

However, given over 30% extra produce being produced compared to required, using valuable ingredients efficiently is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves money but also supports a increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable recipe functions with any variety of salad greens and nuts. By incorporating a whole egg, you avoid the need to repurpose the leftover white. The outcome is an creamy, nutty sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, roasted vegetables, grilled poultry, pasta, or grains.

Yields 2

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

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams external salad greens of two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – white seeds such as pine nuts help maintain a vivid green, but any seeds can work
• 1 medium entire egg

For the Side

• Two little gem lettuces, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous bunch fresh greens (such as parsley), leaves picked whole, stems thinly chopped

Steps

First making the emulsion. Heat the fat in a small saucepan, add the external salad leaves, place a lid and cook for approximately 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, until they’ve wilted. Pour this mixture into the container of a immersion processor, include the nuts and egg, then process till smooth. If needed, add extra nuts to achieve the thick texture. Store in an sealed jar in the fridge for as long as three days.

For prepare the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Coat with a zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and enjoy immediately.