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Drawing from a well-known New York restaurant, this groundbreaking technique turns usually thrown-out outer lettuce greens into a velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is a ingenious approach to cut down on kitchen waste while creating something flavorful and adaptable.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

Those outer leaves are the plant’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inside leaves. Although composting vegetable scraps is a fundamental zero-waste practice, finding creative uses for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting surplus food into rich soil avoids dump accumulation, where it may emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate concern.

This is rather radical when you consider over it: produce rots and transforms into that perfect soil to feed more crops, thereby completing this cycle and respecting the process of life.

However, with more than 30% surplus produce getting made compared to required, consuming valuable ingredients wisely is crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves money but also supports the more sustainable way of living.

The Green Emulsion Recipe

The versatile formula functions with any variety of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating one whole egg, you eliminate the need to use up an extra egg white. This outcome is a creamy, rich dressing that works beautifully with salads, grilled vegetables, grilled poultry, pasta, or rice.

Serves two

For the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams external lettuce greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and dried
• 20 grams peeled salted nuts – white seeds such as blanched almonds help keep a bright green, though any seeds can do
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem heads, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (such as dill), sprigs left intact, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

First making the emulsion. Heat the butter in one small pot, toss in the external lettuce greens, place a lid and wilt for about a minute, mixing once or twice, until they have wilted. Pour this contents into the jug of an immersion processor, add the nuts and egg, then process until creamy. If needed, incorporate more seeds to get the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To prepare the salad, sprinkle each gem portion with olive oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Place on 2 dishes and serve immediately.