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Modeled after a well-known NYC restaurant, the groundbreaking method transforms usually thrown-out external salad greens into a smooth herbaceous emulsion. It’s a brilliant way to cut down on food waste while making a condiment flavorful and adaptable.

The Reason Use Outer Salad Leaves?

Those external leaves serve as the plant’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inner lettuce. While composting vegetable scraps is a basic zero-waste habit, finding new applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Converting excess food into rich compost prevents dump buildup, where they can release methane, a potent environmental issue.

This is quite radical when you think about it: food rots and transforms into the perfect soil to nourish further plants, thus completing this cycle and respecting the process of life.

However, given over 30% surplus food being made compared to needed, using valuable resources wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing waste not only saves money but also promotes a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile formula functions with any type of salad greens and seeds. By using a entire egg, one avoid the hassle to use up an extra egg white. This result is a smooth, nutty dressing that works beautifully with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves 2

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

• 100g butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves from two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and dried
• 20g shelled salted pistachios – light-colored seeds such as cashews help maintain a vivid color, though whatever nuts can do
• 1 medium entire egg

For the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One small handful fresh herbs (such as dill), sprigs left whole, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by making the emulsion. Melt the fat in one small saucepan, add the outer lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they’ve wilted. Pour the contents into a container of a immersion processor, include the nuts and whole egg, then process until smooth. As necessary, incorporate extra nuts to get the mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

For assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Dress with a zigzag pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and serve right away.