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Drawing from a popular NYC eatery, the innovative technique turns typically wasted outer salad leaves into an luxurious green emulsion. It’s a ingenious approach to minimize food waste while producing a condiment flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Lettuce Leaves?

These outer greens serve as nature’s protective packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. While composting vegetable trimmings is a basic zero-waste habit, discovering creative applications for them is even more beneficial. Converting excess food into rich soil avoids dump accumulation, where they can release methane, which is a powerful climate issue.

This is quite radical when you consider over it: produce decomposes and becomes that ideal soil to nourish further crops, thereby completing the cycle and respecting nature’s cycle of growth.

However, with over 30% extra food being made than needed, using valuable ingredients wisely is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves money but also supports the increasingly sustainable way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The adaptable formula functions with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. By incorporating a entire egg, one avoid the hassle to use up an extra egg white. The outcome is a creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

For the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams outer lettuce greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled roasted nuts – light-colored seeds like pine nuts help maintain the vivid color, but whatever seeds will do
• One small entire egg

For the Side

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• One small handful fresh greens (such as parsley), leaves left whole, stalks thinly minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one small saucepan, toss in the external salad leaves, place a lid and wilt for about a minute, mixing once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Transfer this contents into a container of a immersion processor, add the nuts and egg, then blend till creamy. If needed, add extra seeds to achieve the thick texture. Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator for as long as three days.

To prepare the salad, drizzle each lettuce half with olive oil and acid, then salt liberally. Coat with a tight pattern of the herb emulsion, then top with the herbs. Arrange on two plates and serve immediately.