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Inspired by a popular NYC eatery, the groundbreaking method transforms usually thrown-out external lettuce greens into a luxurious green “mayonnaise”. It’s a smart way to minimize food waste while making a condiment delicious and flexible.

Why Use Outer Salad Greens?

These outer greens are the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. Although composting produce trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste habit, discovering new applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess food into rich soil avoids landfill accumulation, where they can emit greenhouse gases, a powerful climate issue.

This is rather radical if you consider about it: produce rots and transforms into that perfect growing medium to nourish more plants, thereby closing the loop and honoring the cycle of life.

However, with more than thirty percent surplus produce being produced compared to required, using precious ingredients efficiently is essential. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves cash but also promotes a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable formula works with any variety of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating one whole egg, one eliminate any hassle to use up an extra egg white. This outcome is a creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, grilled vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

For the Herb Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g external salad leaves of 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20g shelled salted pistachios – light-colored nuts such as pine nuts assist maintain the bright green, though whatever nuts can do
• One small whole egg

For the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One generous handful fresh herbs (such as dill), leaves picked whole, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

First making the emulsion. Heat the butter in a small saucepan, toss in the external salad leaves, cover and cook for about a minute, stirring a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Transfer the mixture into a container of an immersion blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend till smooth. If needed, incorporate extra nuts to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

For prepare the dish, sprinkle each gem portion with olive oil and acid, then salt generously. Dress with a zigzag drizzle of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.