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Modeled after a well-known New York eatery, this groundbreaking method converts usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into an smooth herbaceous emulsion. It’s a brilliant way to minimize leftovers while producing something delicious and flexible.

Why Repurpose Outer Lettuce Leaves?

These external greens serve as nature’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inside leaves. While composting produce trimmings is a basic zero-waste practice, discovering creative uses for them is even more beneficial. Turning excess ingredients into fertile compost prevents dump accumulation, where it can release greenhouse gases, which is a potent climate concern.

It’s quite innovative when you consider about it: food rots and becomes the ideal soil to feed more plants, thereby closing this cycle and respecting nature’s cycle of life.

Yet, with more than 30% extra food getting made than required, consuming valuable resources efficiently becomes crucial. Reducing waste not only saves money but also promotes the more sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable recipe functions with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. By using one whole egg, you eliminate the need to repurpose an leftover egg white. The outcome is an smooth, rich sauce that works beautifully with greens, roasted vegetables, seared poultry, pasta, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams outer lettuce greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted nuts – light-colored seeds like pine nuts assist keep the vivid color, but any nuts will do
• One small entire egg

For the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One small handful soft herbs (such as parsley), leaves left whole, stalks thinly minced

Steps

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one medium pot, toss in the external salad greens, cover and cook for approximately a minute, mixing a couple times, until they’ve softened. Transfer this contents into a container of an immersion processor, include the nuts and egg, then blend until smooth. As necessary, incorporate extra nuts to achieve the mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each gem portion with oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on 2 plates and enjoy immediately.