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Inspired by a well-known NYC eatery, this groundbreaking technique turns typically wasted external lettuce greens into a luxurious green emulsion. It’s a brilliant way to cut down on leftovers while making a condiment tasty and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Salad Leaves?

These outer greens are the plant’s protective wrapping, shielding the tender inner lettuce. While composting vegetable trimmings is a basic sustainable practice, finding creative uses for them is additionally impactful. Turning surplus ingredients into rich soil avoids landfill buildup, where they can emit methane, a powerful environmental concern.

This is rather innovative when you consider about it: produce decomposes and transforms into that perfect growing medium to nourish more plants, thus completing the cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of life.

However, given more than 30% surplus produce being made than required, consuming precious resources efficiently becomes essential. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves cash but also promotes a more sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

The adaptable formula functions with whatever type of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating one whole egg, one avoid any hassle to use up an extra egg white. The result is an creamy, rich dressing that works perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, seared poultry, noodles, or grains.

Yields two

For the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams shelled roasted nuts – white seeds such as cashews help keep a bright green, but any seeds can work
• 1 small whole egg

For the Salad

• Two romaine or butter heads, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch fresh greens (such as parsley), leaves picked whole, stalks thinly chopped

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in a medium saucepan, toss in the outer lettuce leaves, cover and wilt for about 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, until they’ve wilted. Transfer the mixture into a jug of a immersion processor, add the pistachios and egg, then process until creamy. As necessary, add more seeds to achieve the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for as long as three days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Coat with one tight pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 plates and serve right away.