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Drawing from a popular NYC restaurant, this creative technique converts usually thrown-out outer lettuce greens into an luxurious herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant way to minimize kitchen waste while creating something flavorful and adaptable.

The Reason Use Outer Salad Greens?

These external leaves are the plant’s natural wrapping, shielding the delicate inside leaves. While composting produce trimmings is a basic zero-waste practice, finding creative applications for these parts is even more impactful. Turning surplus ingredients into rich soil prevents dump buildup, where it may emit methane, which is a potent climate issue.

This is rather innovative if you think over it: produce rots and transforms into the perfect soil to feed further crops, thus closing the cycle and honoring the process of life.

Yet, given over 30% extra produce being produced than required, using valuable resources wisely is essential. Reducing waste not only saves cash but also promotes a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

This Green Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable recipe works with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. By using a entire egg, one avoid the hassle to use up an leftover white. This result is an smooth, nutty sauce that works perfectly with greens, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams external salad greens from 2 little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20g peeled roasted pistachios – light-colored seeds like blanched almonds help keep a vivid green, but whatever nuts can do
• 1 small whole egg

To Make the Side

• Two romaine or butter heads, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch fresh herbs (like chives), leaves picked intact, stems thinly minced

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Heat the fat in one medium saucepan, add the external lettuce greens, cover and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, till they have wilted. Pour the contents into the jug of a immersion blender, add the pistachios and egg, then blend until creamy. As necessary, incorporate extra nuts to achieve the mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each gem portion with oil and acid, then salt liberally. Coat with one tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on two plates and serve right away.