Transforming Outer Salad Leaves into Rich Mayonnaise – A Sustainable Recipe

Drawing from a popular New York restaurant, the groundbreaking technique turns typically wasted outer lettuce greens into a velvety green “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart way to reduce kitchen waste while making a condiment delicious and adaptable.

Why Repurpose External Salad Greens?

These external greens are nature’s natural packaging, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. Although recycling produce scraps is one basic zero-waste practice, discovering new uses for them is even more impactful. Turning excess food into fertile soil prevents landfill accumulation, where it can emit methane, which is a powerful climate concern.

This is rather radical when you think over it: food rots and becomes that ideal growing medium to feed more plants, thus closing the loop and respecting the cycle of life.

Yet, with over 30% extra food getting produced compared to needed, consuming precious ingredients efficiently is essential. Reducing waste not only conserves cash but also promotes a more sustainable way of living.

The Green “Mayonnaise” Method

The adaptable formula works with any variety of salad greens and nuts. Through using one whole egg, one eliminate any hassle to use up an leftover white. The result is an creamy, nutty sauce that works perfectly with salads, grilled vegetables, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Yields two

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g outer salad leaves of two little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white seeds such as pine nuts help maintain the bright green, but whatever nuts will work
• One small whole egg

For the Salad

• 2 little gem heads, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch soft herbs (like dill), sprigs left whole, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the fat in one small saucepan, add the external lettuce leaves, cover and wilt for about a minute, mixing once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Pour this mixture into the jug of an stick processor, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in an sealed container in the fridge for as long as three days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with olive oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with one tight pattern of the green emulsion, then top with the herbs. Arrange on two plates and enjoy right away.