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Drawing from a popular New York eatery, the groundbreaking technique converts usually thrown-out outer salad leaves into an luxurious green emulsion. This is a ingenious approach to reduce leftovers while making something flavorful and flexible.

Why Use Outer Salad Leaves?

These external greens are the plant’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. Although composting vegetable trimmings is a fundamental sustainable practice, discovering new applications for these parts is even more impactful. Converting excess food into rich compost avoids dump accumulation, where it may emit methane, a potent climate issue.

It’s rather innovative if you think over it: produce decomposes and becomes that ideal growing medium to feed further crops, thus completing this cycle and honoring the cycle of life.

However, with over 30% extra produce getting produced than needed, using precious resources wisely becomes essential. Minimizing waste not only saves money but also supports a more eco-friendly way of living.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The versatile recipe works with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one entire egg, you avoid the hassle to repurpose an extra white. This result is an creamy, nutty dressing that pairs beautifully with greens, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, pasta, or rice.

Serves two

To Make the Green Emulsion (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves of 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled roasted pistachios – light-colored nuts like blanched almonds help keep the vivid color, but any seeds can work
• 1 medium entire egg

For the Side

• Two little gem lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One generous bunch soft greens (like chervil), sprigs picked intact, stems thinly minced

Steps

First preparing the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one small saucepan, add the outer lettuce leaves, place a lid and wilt for about 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, till they have softened. Pour this contents into a jug of a stick processor, add the nuts and egg, then blend till creamy. As necessary, add extra seeds to get the thick texture. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the salad, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then salt generously. Coat with one tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 plates and serve immediately.