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Modeled after a popular NYC restaurant, the innovative technique transforms often-discarded external lettuce greens into an smooth green emulsion. This is an brilliant approach to minimize food waste while producing something tasty and versatile.

Why Repurpose Outer Salad Greens?

These external greens serve as the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. Although recycling produce scraps is one fundamental zero-waste practice, discovering creative applications for them is additionally impactful. Turning surplus food into fertile soil avoids dump buildup, where it may emit greenhouse gases, a potent environmental concern.

This is rather innovative if you consider over it: produce rots and transforms into that ideal soil to feed more plants, thereby closing the cycle and honoring the cycle of growth.

However, with over 30% surplus produce getting produced than required, using valuable ingredients efficiently becomes crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves money but also supports a more sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

This versatile recipe works with whatever variety of lettuce and seeds. Through using one whole egg, you eliminate any need to use up an leftover egg white. This outcome is a creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, seared poultry, pasta, or grains.

Serves 2

For the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves of 2 little gems, washed and dried
• 20g shelled roasted nuts – white seeds like blanched almonds help keep a bright color, but whatever nuts can work
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One small handful soft herbs (such as dill), leaves left intact, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by making the emulsion. Melt the fat in one medium saucepan, toss in the outer lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, until they’ve softened. Pour this mixture into the jug of an immersion processor, include the nuts and whole egg, then process till creamy. If needed, add more nuts to get the thick consistency. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

For assemble the dish, drizzle each gem half with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on two dishes and enjoy immediately.