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Drawing from an acclaimed NYC eatery, the creative method transforms usually thrown-out external salad leaves into a luxurious green “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant way to cut down on leftovers while creating a condiment tasty and flexible.

The Reason Use External Lettuce Leaves?

These outer leaves are nature’s natural packaging, shielding the tender inside leaves. While composting vegetable scraps is one fundamental sustainable habit, finding creative applications for them is even more beneficial. Turning excess ingredients into rich soil avoids landfill buildup, where they may emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate issue.

It’s rather innovative if you think about it: food rots and transforms into that perfect growing medium to nourish further plants, thereby closing the cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

However, given over 30% surplus produce being produced compared to required, using valuable resources wisely becomes crucial. Reducing waste not only saves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Green Emulsion Recipe

This versatile recipe functions with any type of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating one whole egg, one avoid any need to use up the extra egg white. This result is an smooth, rich sauce that works beautifully with salads, roasted vegetables, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Serves 2

For the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted nuts – white seeds like blanched almonds assist maintain the vivid green, but whatever seeds will do
• 1 medium whole egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem heads, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 small handful fresh herbs (such as dill), leaves left whole, stalks thinly minced

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in a medium pot, add the outer lettuce greens, cover and cook for approximately a minute, stirring a couple times, until they have softened. Transfer this contents into a container of an immersion processor, add the pistachios and egg, then process till creamy. If needed, incorporate more nuts to get the thick texture. Keep in a airtight jar in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with olive oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Dress with one tight pattern of the herb emulsion, then top with the herbs. Arrange on 2 dishes and serve immediately.