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Inspired by a popular New York restaurant, the groundbreaking method converts typically wasted external lettuce greens into a smooth herbaceous emulsion. This is a smart approach to cut down on food waste while producing something delicious and versatile.

The Reason Use External Salad Greens?

Those outer greens serve as nature’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inside lettuce. Although recycling vegetable scraps is one basic zero-waste practice, finding new applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Turning surplus food into rich soil avoids landfill accumulation, where it may emit methane, a powerful environmental concern.

It’s rather innovative if you think about it: food rots and transforms into that perfect soil to feed more plants, thus closing this cycle and honoring the process of life.

Yet, with over 30% extra food being produced compared to needed, using valuable ingredients efficiently is essential. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves cash but also supports the more eco-friendly lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This versatile formula functions with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one whole egg, one avoid any need to use up an leftover egg white. The outcome is an creamy, nutty dressing that pairs beautifully with salads, grilled vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Serves two

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50g external lettuce greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled roasted pistachios – light-colored seeds such as pine nuts help maintain a vivid green, but whatever seeds can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One generous bunch soft herbs (such as chives), leaves left whole, stalks thinly minced

Steps

First making the emulsion. Melt the fat in one small pot, add the outer salad leaves, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, until they have wilted. Transfer the mixture into the jug of a immersion processor, add the nuts and whole egg, then process till smooth. If needed, add extra nuts to achieve a thick consistency. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with one tight pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 plates and enjoy right away.