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Drawing from a popular NYC restaurant, the creative technique transforms often-discarded external lettuce greens into a smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s a ingenious way to reduce leftovers while making something flavorful and versatile.

Why Use Outer Salad Greens?

These outer greens serve as the plant’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although recycling produce trimmings is a basic zero-waste habit, finding creative applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess ingredients into fertile soil avoids dump accumulation, where it can emit methane, a potent climate issue.

It’s rather innovative if you consider over it: produce decomposes and transforms into the ideal growing medium to nourish further plants, thus completing this loop and respecting nature’s cycle of growth.

However, with more than thirty percent extra food getting produced compared to required, using valuable ingredients efficiently is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves money but also supports a more sustainable lifestyle.

The Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The versatile recipe functions with any type of salad greens and seeds. By using a entire egg, you avoid any need to repurpose the extra egg white. The result is an creamy, nutty sauce that works perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, noodles, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Herb Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad leaves from two little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20g peeled salted pistachios – white nuts like blanched almonds assist keep a vivid color, but any seeds will do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small handful fresh herbs (like dill), sprigs left intact, stems thinly chopped

Instructions

Begin by making the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one small saucepan, add the external lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, till they have softened. Pour the mixture into a container of a immersion blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend till creamy. If needed, add extra seeds to achieve the thick consistency. Keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each gem portion with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Coat with one tight drizzle of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Place on two plates and enjoy immediately.