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Inspired by a well-known NYC restaurant, the creative technique turns often-discarded outer salad leaves into an luxurious green emulsion. It’s a ingenious approach to cut down on leftovers while producing something flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Use External Lettuce Leaves?

These outer greens serve as nature’s natural wrapping, shielding the delicate inside leaves. Although recycling vegetable scraps is a basic sustainable habit, finding new uses for them is additionally impactful. Turning excess food into rich compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they may emit methane, which is a potent climate issue.

This is quite radical when you consider over it: produce decomposes and becomes the ideal soil to nourish more crops, thus closing this cycle and honoring the cycle of life.

Yet, given over 30% surplus food getting made than needed, using precious resources efficiently becomes crucial. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes a more eco-friendly way of living.

The Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

The versatile formula functions with any type of salad greens and seeds. Through using one whole egg, one eliminate any hassle to repurpose an leftover white. This result is a creamy, nutty sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50g external salad leaves from two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted nuts – light-colored nuts like blanched almonds help maintain a bright color, but whatever nuts can do
• 1 small entire egg

To Make the Side

• Two romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous handful fresh greens (such as chives), sprigs picked intact, stems thinly minced

Steps

First preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one medium pot, add the outer lettuce leaves, cover and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, till they have softened. Pour this mixture into a jug of an immersion blender, include the nuts and egg, then blend till smooth. If needed, add extra seeds to get the thick consistency. Keep in an sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For assemble the salad, sprinkle each lettuce half with olive oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Coat with a tight drizzle of the herb emulsion, then top with the greens. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.