🔗 Share this article

Modeled after a popular NYC eatery, this groundbreaking method transforms typically wasted outer salad greens into a velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an ingenious approach to reduce kitchen waste while producing something flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose External Salad Greens?

Those outer greens are nature’s natural packaging, shielding the tender inside lettuce. Although recycling produce trimmings is one basic zero-waste practice, finding creative uses for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting surplus ingredients into rich compost avoids dump accumulation, where it may release methane, which is a potent climate concern.

This is rather radical if you think over it: produce rots and transforms into the perfect growing medium to nourish further crops, thus completing the cycle and respecting nature’s process of life.

However, with more than 30% extra produce being made compared to needed, consuming precious resources efficiently is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports the increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable recipe functions with whatever variety of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating a whole egg, one eliminate the hassle to repurpose an extra white. This outcome is an smooth, rich sauce that works beautifully with greens, grilled veggies, seared poultry, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Yields approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad leaves of two little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – light-colored seeds such as blanched almonds assist keep a bright green, though any nuts will work
• One medium whole egg

For the Side

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous handful fresh greens (such as parsley), sprigs picked whole, stalks finely minced

Steps

Begin by making the emulsion. Melt the butter in one small saucepan, add the outer lettuce greens, place a lid and cook for about a minute, stirring once or twice, till they have wilted. Pour the contents into the container of a immersion blender, include the nuts and egg, then process until creamy. As necessary, incorporate more nuts to achieve the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for as long as three days.

To prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with olive oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with a tight pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on two dishes and enjoy right away.