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Drawing from an acclaimed NYC restaurant, the innovative technique turns usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into a luxurious green emulsion. It’s a ingenious way to reduce food waste while creating a condiment flavorful and flexible.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Salad Leaves?

These external greens serve as the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the tender inner leaves. While composting produce scraps is one fundamental zero-waste practice, finding creative applications for them is even more beneficial. Converting excess food into fertile soil prevents landfill accumulation, where they may emit methane, a powerful climate concern.

It’s quite innovative if you think over it: produce rots and becomes that perfect soil to nourish more crops, thus completing the loop and respecting nature’s cycle of growth.

However, given over 30% extra produce getting produced compared to required, consuming valuable resources efficiently is essential. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports a increasingly eco-friendly way of living.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable recipe works with any type of lettuce and seeds. Through using one entire egg, you avoid the hassle to use up the leftover egg white. The outcome is an creamy, rich dressing that works beautifully with greens, grilled vegetables, seared poultry, pasta, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams outer lettuce greens of two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled roasted nuts – white seeds like blanched almonds help keep the vivid green, but any seeds will do
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (like chervil), leaves picked intact, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Melt the fat in a medium pot, add the external lettuce greens, cover and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Pour the mixture into a jug of an stick blender, add the nuts and egg, then process till creamy. If needed, add extra seeds to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Store in an sealed container in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the dish, drizzle each gem portion with olive oil and acid, then salt generously. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.