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Modeled after an acclaimed NYC restaurant, this creative method transforms usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into an velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s a brilliant way to cut down on food waste while making something delicious and versatile.

Why Use External Lettuce Greens?

Those outer leaves are nature’s natural wrapping, guarding the delicate inside leaves. While recycling vegetable scraps is one basic sustainable habit, discovering new applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess food into rich compost prevents landfill buildup, where they may release methane, a powerful environmental concern.

It’s rather radical when you think about it: produce decomposes and becomes the ideal soil to nourish more crops, thereby closing this loop and honoring the process of growth.

Yet, given more than thirty percent extra food being made than needed, consuming precious resources efficiently is essential. Minimizing waste not only saves money but also supports the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The versatile formula works with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating one whole egg, one eliminate any need to repurpose the extra egg white. This outcome is a creamy, nutty dressing that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled vegetables, seared poultry, pasta, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Herb Emulsion (Yields about 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external salad leaves of two little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled roasted nuts – white seeds such as cashews help maintain the bright green, but whatever nuts will work
• 1 medium entire egg

For the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous handful fresh herbs (like parsley), sprigs left intact, stalks thinly chopped

Steps

First making the emulsion. Heat the fat in a small saucepan, add the external salad leaves, place a lid and cook for about a minute, stirring once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour this mixture into the jug of a immersion blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then process till creamy. If needed, add extra seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each lettuce half with olive oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Dress with one tight drizzle of the herb emulsion, then top with the greens. Place on two plates and enjoy immediately.