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Drawing from a well-known NYC restaurant, the groundbreaking technique turns usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into an velvety green “mayonnaise”. This is an smart way to reduce leftovers while making a condiment flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose External Lettuce Greens?

Those outer leaves are nature’s natural packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. While recycling produce scraps is one fundamental sustainable practice, discovering creative applications for them is even more impactful. Converting excess food into rich compost prevents dump buildup, where it may release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate issue.

This is rather innovative if you think about it: food decomposes and transforms into that perfect soil to nourish further crops, thereby completing this cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

Yet, with more than thirty percent surplus food getting made than needed, using valuable resources wisely becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also supports the more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable formula works with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one entire egg, you eliminate the hassle to repurpose the leftover egg white. The result is an smooth, rich sauce that works beautifully with greens, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, pasta, or rice.

Yields two

To Make the Green Emulsion (Yields about 200g)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer salad greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted nuts – light-colored nuts such as blanched almonds help keep the vivid color, but any seeds can work
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Side

• Two little gem heads, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One generous bunch fresh herbs (such as chervil), leaves picked whole, stalks thinly minced

Steps

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, toss in the external lettuce leaves, place a lid and cook for about 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, till they’ve wilted. Pour this contents into a container of a stick blender, add the pistachios and egg, then process until smooth. If needed, add extra nuts to achieve the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each gem half with oil and acid, then salt generously. Coat with a zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the greens. Place on two dishes and enjoy immediately.