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Drawing from a popular New York restaurant, this groundbreaking technique turns usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into a velvety herbaceous emulsion. This is an ingenious way to cut down on leftovers while making something flavorful and flexible.

The Reason Use External Lettuce Leaves?

Those external leaves are nature’s natural packaging, shielding the tender inner leaves. Although recycling vegetable scraps is a fundamental sustainable habit, discovering new applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Converting excess food into fertile soil prevents dump buildup, where it can emit greenhouse gases, a potent environmental concern.

It’s rather radical if you consider about it: produce decomposes and transforms into that ideal growing medium to feed further crops, thereby completing this loop and respecting nature’s process of life.

Yet, given more than 30% surplus food getting produced than needed, consuming valuable resources wisely is essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This versatile recipe works with any type of salad greens and nuts. Through using one whole egg, you eliminate the need to repurpose the leftover white. This result is a creamy, nutty sauce that pairs beautifully with greens, roasted vegetables, grilled poultry, pasta, or rice.

Serves 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g external lettuce greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white seeds such as cashews help maintain a bright color, though any seeds can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous bunch soft greens (such as chervil), leaves picked intact, stalks finely minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Heat the butter in one medium pot, toss in the external salad greens, cover and cook for approximately a minute, mixing once or twice, until they have softened. Pour the mixture into the jug of an immersion processor, add the nuts and whole egg, then process till creamy. As necessary, add extra seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency. Store in a airtight jar in the fridge for up to three days.

For prepare the salad, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Dress with one zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on two dishes and serve right away.