🔗 Share this article

Inspired by a well-known NYC restaurant, the innovative technique turns usually thrown-out external salad leaves into an smooth herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s a smart approach to minimize food waste while producing something delicious and versatile.

The Reason Use External Salad Leaves?

Those outer leaves are nature’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inside lettuce. Although recycling vegetable scraps is one basic sustainable practice, finding new uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess ingredients into fertile soil prevents dump buildup, where it can emit greenhouse gases, which is a powerful environmental issue.

This is quite radical when you consider about it: food rots and transforms into the ideal growing medium to feed further plants, thus completing the cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

However, with over thirty percent extra produce being produced compared to required, using precious ingredients wisely becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only saves money but also supports a more eco-friendly way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable recipe works with any variety of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating one whole egg, you eliminate any need to use up the extra white. This outcome is an creamy, rich sauce that works perfectly with salads, grilled veggies, seared poultry, noodles, or rice.

Yields 2

For the Green “Mayonnaise” (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams outer salad leaves from 2 little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g shelled roasted nuts – white seeds such as cashews assist keep a bright green, though any nuts will do
• One small entire egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem lettuces, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One small handful soft herbs (such as dill), sprigs picked whole, stems thinly minced

Steps

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in one medium pot, add the external lettuce leaves, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, until they have wilted. Transfer the mixture into a container of a stick blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend until smooth. As necessary, add more seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like texture. Store in an sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For prepare the dish, sprinkle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with a tight pattern of the herb emulsion, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and enjoy right away.