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Modeled after a popular NYC restaurant, this innovative method turns typically wasted outer salad leaves into an luxurious herbaceous “mayonnaise”. This is an ingenious way to reduce food waste while creating a condiment delicious and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose External Salad Greens?

Those external leaves are the plant’s natural packaging, guarding the delicate inner leaves. Although composting produce trimmings is a basic sustainable habit, discovering creative uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess food into rich soil prevents landfill accumulation, where they can emit methane, which is a powerful climate issue.

This is quite radical if you think about it: food rots and becomes that perfect growing medium to nourish further crops, thus closing the cycle and honoring the process of life.

Yet, with more than thirty percent surplus produce getting produced than needed, using valuable ingredients wisely is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes a increasingly eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

This versatile formula works with whatever variety of salad greens and nuts. Through using a entire egg, one eliminate any need to use up an leftover egg white. The outcome is a creamy, rich sauce that pairs beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves two

For the Herb Emulsion (Makes about 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams external lettuce leaves from 2 little gems, washed and dried
• 20g shelled roasted nuts – light-colored nuts like cashews assist maintain a bright color, but whatever nuts can work
• One small whole egg

For the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, to taste
• One small handful soft greens (such as dill), sprigs left whole, stems thinly chopped

Steps

First preparing the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in a medium pot, add the external salad greens, cover and cook for approximately 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, until they have wilted. Transfer the contents into the container of a immersion blender, add the pistachios and whole egg, then process till creamy. As necessary, incorporate more seeds to get the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

For prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the green emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two dishes and serve right away.