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Inspired by a well-known New York restaurant, this innovative technique transforms often-discarded external lettuce leaves into a smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart way to minimize kitchen waste while making something flavorful and adaptable.

The Reason Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

Those external greens serve as nature’s natural wrapping, guarding the delicate inner lettuce. Although composting produce trimmings is a fundamental sustainable habit, discovering new applications for these parts is even more impactful. Turning surplus ingredients into rich compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they may release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate concern.

It’s quite radical when you consider about it: food rots and becomes the ideal growing medium to nourish more crops, thereby completing this cycle and respecting the cycle of growth.

However, given more than 30% extra produce getting made compared to needed, using valuable resources efficiently becomes crucial. Reducing waste not only saves cash but also supports the more sustainable way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable formula functions with any type of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating a entire egg, you eliminate any hassle to repurpose an extra egg white. This result is an creamy, nutty sauce that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or rice.

Serves two

To Make the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50g external lettuce greens from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted nuts – light-colored seeds like blanched almonds assist keep a bright green, though any seeds will do
• 1 medium entire egg

To Make the Side

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One generous handful fresh greens (like chervil), sprigs left whole, stalks thinly chopped

Steps

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the fat in a medium saucepan, toss in the outer lettuce greens, cover and wilt for about a minute, mixing once or twice, till they have wilted. Transfer this mixture into the jug of an stick blender, include the nuts and whole egg, then process until smooth. As necessary, add extra seeds to achieve the mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a airtight jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each gem portion with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Coat with one tight pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and serve right away.