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Drawing from an acclaimed NYC eatery, this groundbreaking technique transforms usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into an smooth herbaceous emulsion. This is a brilliant approach to cut down on food waste while making a condiment flavorful and adaptable.

Why Use Outer Salad Leaves?

These external greens are nature’s natural wrapping, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. Although recycling vegetable scraps is a basic zero-waste habit, finding creative uses for them is additionally beneficial. Turning excess ingredients into fertile compost avoids landfill buildup, where they may emit greenhouse gases, which is a potent environmental concern.

It’s quite radical when you think about it: produce decomposes and transforms into that ideal growing medium to nourish more plants, thus closing the loop and honoring nature’s process of growth.

However, given over 30% extra food being produced compared to needed, consuming valuable resources efficiently becomes crucial. Minimizing waste not only conserves cash but also promotes the increasingly eco-friendly way of living.

This Green Emulsion Recipe

The adaptable recipe works with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. By using a whole egg, one eliminate the hassle to use up the leftover egg white. This outcome is an smooth, nutty dressing that pairs beautifully with greens, grilled veggies, grilled poultry, pasta, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Herb Emulsion (Yields about 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external salad greens from 2 little gems, washed and dried
• 20g shelled salted pistachios – light-colored seeds such as pine nuts help maintain the bright green, but whatever nuts will do
• 1 small entire egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous handful fresh greens (like dill), leaves picked intact, stems thinly chopped

Steps

First preparing the mayonnaise. Melt the butter in one medium saucepan, add the external salad leaves, cover and cook for approximately 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Transfer the contents into a jug of a immersion processor, add the nuts and whole egg, then process until creamy. If needed, add extra seeds to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Store in a airtight jar in the fridge for up to three days.

For assemble the salad, drizzle each lettuce portion with olive oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with a zigzag drizzle of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Arrange on two dishes and enjoy right away.