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Modeled after a well-known New York restaurant, the groundbreaking method transforms usually thrown-out external salad leaves into an smooth herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is a brilliant way to minimize leftovers while making a condiment delicious and versatile.

The Reason Use Outer Salad Leaves?

Those external greens are nature’s natural wrapping, guarding the tender inner leaves. While composting vegetable trimmings is a basic sustainable practice, finding creative applications for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting excess food into fertile soil avoids landfill buildup, where it can emit greenhouse gases, a powerful environmental concern.

It’s rather innovative when you consider about it: produce rots and becomes that ideal soil to feed more plants, thereby closing the loop and respecting the process of life.

However, given more than 30% surplus produce being made than needed, consuming valuable ingredients efficiently becomes crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes a more eco-friendly way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

The adaptable recipe works with whatever type of lettuce and seeds. Through incorporating one whole egg, one avoid the need to repurpose an leftover white. This result is a creamy, nutty sauce that pairs beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, noodles, or rice.

Yields 2

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Makes about 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce leaves from two little gems, washed and dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white nuts like cashews assist maintain the bright color, but whatever seeds can work
• 1 small entire egg

For the Salad

• Two romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch soft herbs (like dill), leaves picked whole, stalks thinly minced

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the fat in a small saucepan, toss in the external salad greens, place a lid and cook for approximately a minute, mixing once or twice, till they have softened. Pour this contents into the jug of an immersion blender, include the nuts and whole egg, then process till creamy. If needed, incorporate extra seeds to achieve the thick texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then salt liberally. Dress with one tight drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.