🔗 Share this article

Modeled after an acclaimed NYC eatery, the creative method turns typically wasted outer salad leaves into an smooth herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is an ingenious approach to cut down on leftovers while making a condiment delicious and flexible.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

Those external leaves are nature’s natural wrapping, guarding the delicate inside leaves. While composting produce trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste practice, finding new applications for them is even more impactful. Converting surplus food into rich soil prevents landfill accumulation, where they can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate issue.

It’s quite innovative if you consider about it: produce rots and becomes the perfect soil to nourish further crops, thereby completing this loop and respecting the cycle of life.

Yet, with over thirty percent surplus food being produced compared to required, consuming precious resources efficiently is essential. Reducing waste not only saves money but also promotes a increasingly eco-friendly way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This versatile recipe works with whatever type of lettuce and nuts. By using a entire egg, one eliminate the hassle to repurpose an extra egg white. This result is an creamy, nutty dressing that pairs beautifully with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or rice.

Serves 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce leaves of two little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled salted nuts – light-colored nuts such as cashews help maintain the vivid color, but any seeds will work
• 1 small whole egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small handful soft herbs (such as dill), sprigs left whole, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in a medium pot, add the outer salad greens, cover and wilt for approximately a minute, stirring once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour the mixture into the jug of an stick blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend till smooth. As necessary, incorporate extra seeds to achieve the thick consistency. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with one zigzag drizzle of the green emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two dishes and enjoy immediately.