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Inspired by an acclaimed NYC restaurant, the creative method transforms often-discarded outer salad leaves into an smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s a ingenious approach to cut down on leftovers while producing a condiment flavorful and flexible.

Why Use External Lettuce Leaves?

Those external greens serve as nature’s natural packaging, guarding the tender inside lettuce. Although composting vegetable scraps is a fundamental sustainable habit, discovering new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting excess food into rich compost prevents dump buildup, where they can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful environmental concern.

This is quite radical when you consider about it: food rots and becomes the ideal growing medium to feed more plants, thereby closing this cycle and respecting nature’s process of life.

However, given over 30% extra produce being produced compared to needed, using precious resources wisely becomes crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

The adaptable recipe functions with any type of lettuce and seeds. Through using one entire egg, one avoid the need to repurpose the leftover egg white. The result is a creamy, nutty dressing that works perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, seared poultry, pasta, or rice.

Serves 2

To Make the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g external salad greens of two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled roasted nuts – light-colored nuts like cashews help maintain the bright green, though any seeds can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem heads, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch soft greens (such as chervil), leaves left whole, stems thinly minced

Instructions

First preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one small saucepan, add the outer lettuce leaves, place a lid and wilt for approximately a minute, stirring once or twice, until they’ve wilted. Pour this contents into a container of a stick blender, include the pistachios and whole egg, then blend till smooth. If needed, incorporate extra seeds to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

For assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the green emulsion, then top with the greens. Place on 2 plates and serve right away.