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Inspired by a well-known New York restaurant, this groundbreaking method transforms often-discarded external salad leaves into an luxurious green emulsion. This is an ingenious way to cut down on food waste while creating a condiment flavorful and adaptable.

Why Repurpose Outer Salad Leaves?

These outer greens are the plant’s natural packaging, shielding the tender inner lettuce. Although composting vegetable trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste habit, finding creative uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Converting excess ingredients into fertile soil prevents landfill accumulation, where they can release methane, which is a potent environmental issue.

This is rather innovative if you think about it: produce decomposes and becomes the perfect growing medium to feed more crops, thus closing this loop and respecting the process of life.

Yet, given more than 30% extra produce being made compared to needed, using precious ingredients efficiently becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes a more sustainable lifestyle.

The Green Emulsion Method

The versatile formula functions with any type of salad greens and nuts. By incorporating one entire egg, one eliminate any hassle to repurpose an leftover egg white. The outcome is a smooth, nutty dressing that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Yields two

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

• 100 grams butter
• 50g outer salad leaves of two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled salted pistachios – white nuts like blanched almonds help maintain a vivid color, but any seeds can work
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem heads, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch soft greens (such as chervil), leaves left intact, stalks thinly minced

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Heat the fat in a small saucepan, toss in the external salad leaves, place a lid and cook for approximately 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, until they have softened. Pour this mixture into a jug of a stick blender, include the pistachios and whole egg, then blend till creamy. If needed, incorporate more nuts to get a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

To prepare the salad, sprinkle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Coat with a tight pattern of the herb emulsion, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and serve immediately.