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Modeled after a popular New York restaurant, the creative method turns typically wasted outer lettuce greens into a smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart approach to minimize kitchen waste while producing a condiment tasty and adaptable.

The Reason Repurpose External Salad Greens?

Those outer leaves serve as the plant’s natural wrapping, shielding the tender inside lettuce. Although composting vegetable scraps is one fundamental zero-waste habit, discovering creative applications for them is additionally impactful. Turning excess ingredients into fertile compost avoids dump buildup, where they can emit greenhouse gases, a potent climate concern.

This is rather radical when you consider over it: produce rots and becomes the perfect growing medium to nourish further crops, thus closing the cycle and respecting nature’s process of growth.

Yet, with over thirty percent extra produce getting made than required, consuming valuable resources wisely is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile formula functions with any type of salad greens and nuts. Through using a whole egg, one eliminate any need to repurpose the extra white. The outcome is an creamy, rich sauce that works perfectly with greens, roasted veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or grains.

Yields two

To Make the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external salad leaves from two little gems, rinsed and dried
• 20g shelled salted nuts – light-colored nuts like pine nuts help keep the vivid green, but any nuts can work
• One medium entire egg

To Make the Salad

• Two little gem heads, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One small bunch soft herbs (such as dill), leaves left whole, stems thinly minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the mayonnaise. Melt the butter in a small pot, add the outer lettuce greens, cover and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, till they’ve softened. Pour the mixture into the jug of a immersion blender, include the pistachios and egg, then blend till creamy. As necessary, incorporate extra seeds to achieve a thick texture. Store in a airtight container in the fridge for as long as three days.

To assemble the dish, sprinkle each gem portion with olive oil and acid, then salt generously. Dress with a zigzag drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and serve immediately.