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Inspired by a popular New York eatery, this creative technique converts often-discarded external lettuce leaves into a luxurious green emulsion. This is a ingenious way to minimize kitchen waste while producing something tasty and flexible.

The Reason Use External Salad Leaves?

Those external leaves serve as the plant’s natural wrapping, guarding the tender inside leaves. Although recycling vegetable scraps is one fundamental sustainable practice, finding new uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess ingredients into fertile soil avoids landfill accumulation, where they can emit methane, which is a powerful climate concern.

It’s quite radical when you think over it: food decomposes and transforms into the perfect growing medium to feed further plants, thus completing this loop and respecting the cycle of life.

However, with more than 30% extra produce getting made than needed, using valuable resources efficiently is essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves cash but also supports a increasingly eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Green Emulsion Method

This versatile recipe functions with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one entire egg, one eliminate the need to repurpose the leftover egg white. This outcome is an creamy, rich sauce that works beautifully with salads, grilled vegetables, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer lettuce leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled roasted pistachios – light-colored nuts such as pine nuts help keep a bright color, though whatever nuts can work
• 1 small entire egg

For the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch soft greens (like chives), leaves left whole, stalks thinly chopped

Steps

Begin by making the emulsion. Melt the fat in a small pot, add the outer lettuce leaves, place a lid and cook for about 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, till they have wilted. Pour this mixture into a jug of an stick blender, add the nuts and egg, then process until smooth. If needed, incorporate extra seeds to achieve the thick consistency. Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator for as long as three days.

For assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce portion with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with one tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two dishes and serve immediately.