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Inspired by a popular NYC restaurant, this innovative technique converts usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into an luxurious green “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart way to minimize leftovers while making a condiment tasty and adaptable.

Why Use External Lettuce Greens?

These outer greens serve as the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the tender inside leaves. While composting vegetable trimmings is a fundamental sustainable habit, finding creative uses for them is even more beneficial. Turning surplus ingredients into fertile compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate issue.

It’s rather innovative if you think over it: produce decomposes and becomes the perfect growing medium to feed further plants, thus completing this loop and honoring the process of growth.

Yet, with more than 30% extra food getting made compared to needed, consuming valuable resources wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves money but also supports a increasingly sustainable way of living.

The Green Emulsion Recipe

This versatile formula works with any type of salad greens and seeds. By using one whole egg, you avoid any hassle to use up the extra egg white. The outcome is an smooth, nutty sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled vegetables, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes about 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – light-colored seeds like cashews assist keep a vivid green, though whatever seeds can work
• One small whole egg

To Make the Salad

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous bunch fresh greens (like parsley), sprigs picked whole, stalks thinly minced

Steps

Begin by making the emulsion. Melt the butter in one small saucepan, add the outer lettuce greens, cover and cook for approximately a minute, mixing a couple times, till they have wilted. Transfer this mixture into a jug of an immersion processor, add the nuts and egg, then blend until creamy. If needed, incorporate extra seeds to get the thick texture. Keep in an sealed jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Coat with a tight drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Arrange on 2 plates and serve right away.