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Modeled after an acclaimed New York eatery, the creative method converts usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into a velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is a brilliant approach to reduce kitchen waste while making something tasty and flexible.

Why Use Outer Salad Leaves?

Those outer leaves are nature’s protective wrapping, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although composting vegetable scraps is one fundamental zero-waste habit, discovering creative applications for them is additionally impactful. Converting excess food into fertile soil avoids landfill buildup, where it can release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate concern.

It’s quite innovative when you consider about it: produce decomposes and becomes the perfect growing medium to feed more plants, thus closing this loop and respecting the process of growth.

Yet, with more than thirty percent extra food being made compared to required, consuming precious resources wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves money but also supports a increasingly sustainable way of living.

The Green “Mayonnaise” Method

This versatile recipe functions with any variety of lettuce and seeds. Through using one whole egg, one avoid the hassle to use up the extra white. This result is a smooth, nutty sauce that works beautifully with salads, roasted vegetables, seared chicken, pasta, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200 grams)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled roasted nuts – light-colored nuts such as cashews help maintain a bright green, though whatever nuts can do
• 1 small whole egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem heads, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous bunch fresh greens (such as chervil), leaves picked whole, stems finely chopped

Steps

First preparing the emulsion. Heat the butter in one medium pot, add the outer lettuce greens, cover and cook for approximately a minute, mixing once or twice, till they have softened. Pour this contents into the jug of a stick blender, include the nuts and egg, then process till creamy. As necessary, add extra seeds to get the thick consistency. Keep in a airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the salad, drizzle each gem portion with oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with one zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.