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Modeled after an acclaimed New York eatery, the groundbreaking technique turns typically wasted external salad leaves into a velvety green “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart way to minimize leftovers while producing a condiment flavorful and flexible.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Lettuce Leaves?

Those external greens serve as nature’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inner leaves. While composting vegetable trimmings is one basic sustainable practice, finding new applications for these parts is even more impactful. Turning surplus ingredients into fertile soil avoids dump accumulation, where it can emit methane, a powerful climate concern.

It’s rather innovative if you consider over it: produce rots and transforms into the ideal soil to feed more crops, thereby closing this cycle and honoring nature’s process of growth.

However, with over 30% extra food being produced than required, using precious ingredients efficiently becomes crucial. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes a increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Green Emulsion Method

This adaptable formula functions with whatever type of lettuce and nuts. By using one whole egg, you avoid any need to repurpose an leftover egg white. This outcome is a smooth, nutty dressing that pairs beautifully with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Yields 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted pistachios – white nuts like blanched almonds help keep a bright green, but any nuts can do
• 1 medium entire egg

For the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One generous handful soft greens (such as dill), sprigs left intact, stems thinly minced

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Heat the fat in a medium pot, toss in the external lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they have wilted. Transfer the mixture into a container of an stick processor, include the pistachios and whole egg, then process till creamy. As necessary, incorporate extra nuts to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each gem half with oil and acid, then season liberally. Coat with one tight drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 plates and enjoy right away.