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Modeled after a popular New York restaurant, the creative technique turns often-discarded outer lettuce leaves into a smooth herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant way to minimize food waste while producing a condiment flavorful and adaptable.

Why Repurpose Outer Lettuce Greens?

Those external leaves serve as the plant’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although composting vegetable scraps is a basic zero-waste practice, discovering creative applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess ingredients into fertile soil avoids dump buildup, where it may release methane, which is a potent environmental concern.

This is rather radical when you think about it: food rots and becomes the perfect growing medium to feed further plants, thus completing this loop and honoring nature’s cycle of life.

Yet, given over 30% surplus food getting produced than needed, consuming precious ingredients efficiently becomes crucial. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes the increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

The adaptable formula functions with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. By incorporating one entire egg, you avoid the need to use up an extra egg white. The outcome is an creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, grilled veggies, seared poultry, pasta, or rice.

Yields 2

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

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer salad greens from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled salted pistachios – light-colored nuts such as blanched almonds help keep the bright color, but any nuts can work
• One medium whole egg

For the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One small handful soft herbs (such as chives), leaves left intact, stems finely chopped

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one small saucepan, add the external salad greens, cover and wilt for about a minute, stirring a couple times, until they have wilted. Pour this mixture into the jug of a stick blender, include the pistachios and whole egg, then blend till creamy. If needed, incorporate more nuts to get the thick texture. Keep in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To prepare the dish, sprinkle each gem portion with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Place on two dishes and serve immediately.