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Modeled after a well-known New York restaurant, the groundbreaking method converts typically wasted outer salad greens into an luxurious herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart way to cut down on kitchen waste while creating a condiment delicious and versatile.

The Reason Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

These outer greens serve as the plant’s protective wrapping, shielding the tender inside lettuce. While composting vegetable trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste practice, discovering new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Turning excess ingredients into fertile compost avoids dump accumulation, where it may release methane, a potent climate concern.

This is rather radical when you think over it: food rots and becomes that perfect growing medium to feed further crops, thereby completing the loop and honoring nature’s cycle of life.

Yet, given over thirty percent surplus food being produced than required, consuming precious ingredients efficiently becomes essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports a more eco-friendly way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

This versatile formula works with any type of lettuce and seeds. By incorporating a entire egg, one eliminate the hassle to use up the extra white. The result is a smooth, rich dressing that works perfectly with greens, grilled veggies, grilled chicken, noodles, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Yields approximately 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external salad greens of two little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20g peeled salted pistachios – white seeds like cashews help keep the vivid green, but whatever nuts will do
• One small whole egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem heads, split longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 small bunch soft greens (such as dill), leaves picked whole, stems thinly minced

Instructions

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Melt the fat in one medium saucepan, toss in the outer lettuce greens, place a lid and cook for approximately 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour the contents into a container of an stick blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend till smooth. As necessary, incorporate more seeds to achieve a thick consistency. Keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each gem half with oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.