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Modeled after an acclaimed New York restaurant, the innovative method transforms typically wasted external lettuce greens into an velvety green emulsion. It’s an smart way to cut down on kitchen waste while producing a condiment flavorful and flexible.

The Reason Use Outer Lettuce Leaves?

Those external leaves are the plant’s protective packaging, shielding the tender inside leaves. While composting vegetable scraps is a fundamental sustainable practice, finding new uses for these parts is even more impactful. Converting surplus ingredients into rich compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they may release methane, which is a potent environmental issue.

This is quite innovative if you consider over it: food rots and becomes the perfect soil to nourish more plants, thus closing the loop and respecting nature’s process of growth.

However, with more than 30% extra food being produced compared to needed, consuming precious resources efficiently is crucial. Reducing waste not only conserves money but also promotes a increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Green Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable recipe works with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. By using one entire egg, one eliminate any hassle to use up an leftover egg white. This result is a creamy, nutty dressing that works perfectly with salads, grilled veggies, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Yields 2

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

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white nuts like cashews help maintain a bright color, though any seeds will do
• 1 medium entire egg

To Make the Side

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous bunch fresh herbs (such as chervil), sprigs picked whole, stalks finely minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in one medium saucepan, toss in the external salad greens, cover and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they’ve softened. Transfer the contents into a jug of a stick blender, add the pistachios and whole egg, then process till smooth. If needed, incorporate more nuts to achieve the thick texture. Store in an sealed jar in the refrigerator for as long as three days.

To prepare the salad, drizzle each lettuce portion with oil and acid, then salt liberally. Coat with a tight drizzle of the green emulsion, then top with the herbs. Place on two dishes and serve right away.