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Inspired by a popular New York eatery, this groundbreaking technique turns typically wasted external lettuce greens into a velvety herbaceous emulsion. This is an brilliant way to minimize kitchen waste while making something tasty and adaptable.

The Reason Use External Lettuce Leaves?

Those outer leaves serve as nature’s natural packaging, guarding the delicate inner leaves. Although composting vegetable scraps is one fundamental zero-waste habit, discovering creative applications for them is additionally impactful. Converting excess ingredients into rich compost avoids landfill buildup, where they can release methane, which is a powerful climate issue.

This is quite radical when you consider about it: produce decomposes and becomes that perfect growing medium to nourish more plants, thus closing the loop and respecting the cycle of life.

Yet, given more than 30% extra produce being made compared to required, consuming precious ingredients wisely becomes essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves money but also supports the more sustainable way of living.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile formula works with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. Through using one entire egg, one eliminate any need to use up an leftover white. This result is a smooth, nutty sauce that works perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, seared poultry, pasta, or grains.

Serves two

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

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer salad greens of two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – white seeds such as blanched almonds help keep a bright green, though whatever seeds can work
• 1 small entire egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem heads, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch soft greens (like dill), sprigs picked whole, stems thinly chopped

Steps

First making the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in a medium pot, toss in the outer salad leaves, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, till they have wilted. Pour the mixture into the jug of an stick blender, include the nuts and egg, then blend until smooth. As necessary, incorporate more seeds to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each lettuce portion with olive oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Coat with one tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on two plates and serve immediately.