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Modeled after a popular New York restaurant, this groundbreaking method turns often-discarded external salad greens into an luxurious herbaceous emulsion. It’s an ingenious approach to cut down on leftovers while making a condiment delicious and versatile.

Why Repurpose External Salad Leaves?

Those outer leaves serve as nature’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although composting produce trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste practice, discovering creative uses for these parts is even more impactful. Converting surplus food into rich soil avoids dump buildup, where they may release greenhouse gases, a powerful environmental concern.

This is quite innovative when you think over it: produce decomposes and becomes the perfect soil to nourish further crops, thus closing the loop and respecting the process of life.

Yet, with more than 30% extra food being made compared to required, consuming precious ingredients efficiently is crucial. Reducing waste not only saves cash but also supports the more eco-friendly way of living.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The adaptable recipe functions with whatever variety of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating a entire egg, one eliminate the hassle to repurpose an leftover white. The result is an creamy, rich dressing that pairs beautifully with salads, grilled vegetables, seared poultry, pasta, or rice.

Serves 2

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce leaves of 2 little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted nuts – white seeds like blanched almonds help keep the vivid color, though whatever nuts will do
• One small whole egg

To Make the Salad

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, split longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous handful fresh herbs (like chives), sprigs picked whole, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Heat the butter in one medium saucepan, add the outer salad leaves, cover and cook for about a minute, stirring once or twice, until they have softened. Transfer this mixture into the jug of a stick blender, include the nuts and egg, then process till creamy. As necessary, add extra nuts to get a thick consistency. Store in an sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For assemble the salad, sprinkle each gem half with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with one zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the greens. Place on two plates and serve right away.