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Inspired by a popular NYC eatery, this creative method transforms often-discarded outer lettuce leaves into an smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s a ingenious approach to minimize leftovers while creating something flavorful and versatile.

Why Repurpose Outer Lettuce Greens?

Those outer leaves serve as the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inner leaves. While recycling produce trimmings is a basic zero-waste habit, discovering creative applications for them is even more impactful. Converting surplus ingredients into rich soil avoids landfill accumulation, where they may release greenhouse gases, which is a potent environmental issue.

It’s quite innovative when you consider about it: produce decomposes and transforms into the perfect growing medium to feed further crops, thus closing the loop and honoring nature’s cycle of life.

However, given more than thirty percent extra food being produced than required, consuming valuable ingredients efficiently is essential. Reducing waste not only saves cash but also promotes the more sustainable lifestyle.

This Green Emulsion Method

The versatile recipe works with any type of salad greens and nuts. Through using one whole egg, one eliminate any hassle to repurpose an leftover white. The outcome is a creamy, rich sauce that works perfectly with greens, grilled veggies, grilled chicken, noodles, or rice.

Yields two

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

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad leaves from 2 little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled salted pistachios – white seeds like cashews help keep a bright green, though any nuts will do
• One medium entire egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem lettuces, split longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (like chervil), sprigs left intact, stalks finely minced

Instructions

First preparing the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one small pot, toss in the external salad leaves, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, till they’ve softened. Transfer this mixture into the container of an stick processor, include the pistachios and whole egg, then process until smooth. As necessary, add extra seeds to get the mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for as long as three days.

For assemble the dish, sprinkle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Coat with a tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.