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Modeled after an acclaimed NYC eatery, this groundbreaking method converts typically wasted external salad leaves into an luxurious herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is a ingenious approach to minimize leftovers while producing something delicious and flexible.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

Those outer leaves are nature’s protective wrapping, shielding the delicate inner leaves. While composting vegetable scraps is one basic sustainable practice, discovering new applications for them is even more impactful. Converting excess ingredients into rich compost avoids dump accumulation, where they may emit methane, which is a potent climate issue.

This is quite innovative if you consider over it: food decomposes and transforms into the ideal growing medium to feed more plants, thus completing this loop and respecting nature’s cycle of life.

However, given more than thirty percent surplus produce being produced compared to needed, consuming valuable ingredients wisely becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes the more sustainable lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable recipe works with any variety of lettuce and seeds. By incorporating one whole egg, you avoid any need to repurpose an leftover egg white. The outcome is an creamy, rich dressing that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, noodles, or rice.

Serves two

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external salad greens from 2 little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20g shelled roasted nuts – light-colored seeds like cashews help keep the vivid color, but any seeds can work
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch fresh greens (such as chives), leaves left intact, stems finely minced

Instructions

First making the emulsion. Melt the fat in a small saucepan, toss in the outer lettuce greens, place a lid and cook for about a minute, stirring a couple times, till they have wilted. Transfer this contents into a jug of an stick blender, add the pistachios and egg, then blend till smooth. If needed, add more nuts to achieve the thick texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to three days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with a zigzag drizzle of the herb emulsion, then top with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and serve immediately.