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Inspired by a well-known New York eatery, the groundbreaking technique turns usually thrown-out outer salad greens into an luxurious herbaceous emulsion. It’s a brilliant approach to cut down on leftovers while creating something tasty and flexible.

The Reason Use External Lettuce Leaves?

These outer greens serve as the plant’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inside leaves. Although composting vegetable scraps is one basic sustainable habit, discovering creative applications for them is even more beneficial. Turning surplus ingredients into rich compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they can release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful environmental issue.

This is quite radical when you consider over it: produce rots and transforms into the perfect growing medium to nourish more crops, thus closing the cycle and respecting nature’s process of growth.

Yet, with over 30% extra produce getting made compared to needed, consuming precious resources efficiently becomes crucial. Reducing leftovers not only conserves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable recipe works with any type of salad greens and seeds. By incorporating one entire egg, you avoid the hassle to use up an leftover egg white. This outcome is an creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.

Yields 2

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

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g external lettuce leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled roasted pistachios – white seeds like blanched almonds help maintain a vivid color, but whatever nuts can do
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem heads, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch soft herbs (like chives), leaves picked whole, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan, toss in the outer salad leaves, place a lid and cook for about 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Transfer this contents into the jug of a stick blender, add the nuts and egg, then process till smooth. If needed, incorporate more nuts to achieve a mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each gem half with oil and acid, then season liberally. Dress with a tight drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two dishes and enjoy right away.