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Drawing from a well-known NYC restaurant, the creative method turns usually thrown-out outer lettuce greens into a luxurious green “mayonnaise”. This is a ingenious way to cut down on food waste while creating a condiment delicious and adaptable.

Why Repurpose External Salad Leaves?

These external greens are the plant’s natural packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. While composting vegetable scraps is one basic zero-waste practice, finding new applications for them is even more impactful. Converting surplus food into fertile soil prevents dump buildup, where they can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful environmental issue.

This is rather innovative when you think about it: produce rots and transforms into the perfect growing medium to nourish further crops, thereby closing the loop and respecting nature’s cycle of growth.

However, with over 30% extra produce getting produced compared to required, using precious resources efficiently becomes essential. Reducing waste not only saves money but also promotes the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable recipe works with whatever type of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating a whole egg, one eliminate the need to repurpose an extra white. This result is a creamy, nutty dressing that works beautifully with greens, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or rice.

Serves two

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50g outer salad leaves from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted pistachios – light-colored nuts like pine nuts help keep the bright green, though any nuts will work
• 1 small whole egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch fresh herbs (such as parsley), leaves left whole, stalks finely minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one medium saucepan, add the external salad leaves, cover and cook for about a minute, stirring once or twice, till they have softened. Pour this contents into the jug of a immersion blender, include the pistachios and egg, then process till creamy. If needed, add extra seeds to get a thick texture. Store in a airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Coat with a tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.