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Modeled after a well-known New York eatery, the groundbreaking method converts typically wasted external salad leaves into an smooth herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is an ingenious way to minimize food waste while creating something tasty and flexible.

Why Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

Those outer leaves are the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. While composting vegetable trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste practice, finding new applications for these parts is additionally beneficial. Turning excess food into rich compost avoids dump buildup, where they can release methane, which is a powerful environmental concern.

It’s quite innovative when you consider about it: food rots and becomes the ideal soil to nourish further plants, thereby closing the loop and honoring the cycle of growth.

Yet, with over thirty percent surplus produce being made than required, consuming precious resources wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing waste not only conserves money but also promotes a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Green Emulsion Method

The adaptable recipe works with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. By incorporating a entire egg, you avoid the need to use up an extra egg white. This outcome is an smooth, rich dressing that works perfectly with salads, grilled vegetables, grilled poultry, noodles, or rice.

Yields 2

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

• 100g butter
• 50g external lettuce greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams peeled salted nuts – light-colored seeds such as pine nuts help maintain the bright color, though any nuts will do
• One small entire egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small handful soft greens (like dill), leaves left intact, stems finely chopped

Steps

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one medium saucepan, add the external salad leaves, cover and cook for about a minute, stirring a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Pour this mixture into a jug of an stick blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then process till smooth. If needed, incorporate more nuts to get the thick consistency. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for as long as three days.

To prepare the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Dress with one tight drizzle of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.