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Inspired by a popular NYC restaurant, the groundbreaking technique turns typically wasted external lettuce greens into a luxurious herbaceous emulsion. It’s a smart approach to reduce kitchen waste while producing a condiment tasty and versatile.

Why Repurpose Outer Salad Greens?

These outer greens are nature’s protective wrapping, guarding the tender inner lettuce. While composting produce scraps is a basic zero-waste practice, discovering new uses for them is additionally beneficial. Converting surplus ingredients into rich compost prevents landfill accumulation, where it may release methane, which is a powerful climate concern.

It’s rather radical if you consider about it: produce decomposes and becomes that perfect soil to feed more plants, thus closing this cycle and honoring nature’s process of growth.

However, with more than thirty percent surplus food being made compared to needed, using precious resources wisely is essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves money but also promotes the increasingly eco-friendly way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

The adaptable recipe works with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. By incorporating one whole egg, one avoid the hassle to use up the leftover egg white. This outcome is a creamy, nutty dressing that pairs beautifully with greens, roasted vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens of 2 little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – light-colored nuts such as pine nuts help keep a vivid green, but whatever seeds can do
• 1 small entire egg

To Make the Salad

• Two romaine or butter heads, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• One small handful soft herbs (such as dill), leaves picked whole, stalks finely minced

Steps

First making the emulsion. Heat the butter in one small pot, add the external lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Pour this mixture into the jug of an immersion blender, include the pistachios and whole egg, then blend until creamy. If needed, add extra nuts to achieve the thick consistency. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for as long as three days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each gem portion with oil and lemon juice, then salt liberally. Coat with a tight drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 plates and serve right away.