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Inspired by a popular NYC eatery, this innovative method turns typically wasted external lettuce greens into an luxurious green emulsion. This is an smart approach to reduce food waste while making something tasty and flexible.

The Reason Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

These outer greens are nature’s natural packaging, guarding the tender inside lettuce. Although composting produce trimmings is one basic zero-waste practice, discovering creative applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Converting surplus ingredients into fertile soil prevents landfill accumulation, where they may release greenhouse gases, a powerful climate issue.

It’s quite innovative when you consider about it: food rots and transforms into the perfect growing medium to feed more crops, thus completing the cycle and honoring the cycle of growth.

Yet, given more than 30% surplus produce being made than needed, using valuable resources wisely is crucial. Minimizing waste not only saves money but also promotes a increasingly sustainable way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The adaptable formula functions with any variety of lettuce and nuts. Through using one entire egg, one avoid any hassle to use up an extra egg white. The outcome is a creamy, nutty dressing that works beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Serves two

For the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g outer salad greens of two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – light-colored nuts such as pine nuts assist keep the vivid color, but any nuts can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous bunch soft greens (such as parsley), sprigs left intact, stems thinly chopped

Steps

First making the emulsion. Melt the fat in a small pot, add the external lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Transfer the contents into the jug of an immersion blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, add more nuts to get a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an sealed jar in the fridge for up to three days.

To prepare the salad, drizzle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Coat with a zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on 2 plates and serve right away.