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Drawing from a popular New York eatery, the creative technique converts typically wasted outer lettuce leaves into an velvety green emulsion. It’s a brilliant way to minimize leftovers while producing something delicious and versatile.

Why Use External Lettuce Leaves?

Those external greens are the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the tender inside leaves. While recycling produce scraps is one basic zero-waste practice, discovering creative applications for them is even more impactful. Turning excess food into fertile soil prevents landfill accumulation, where it can emit greenhouse gases, a powerful environmental issue.

It’s rather innovative when you think over it: produce rots and transforms into that ideal growing medium to feed further crops, thus closing this loop and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

Yet, with more than 30% extra food being made compared to needed, consuming precious resources wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes the more eco-friendly lifestyle.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Method

This adaptable recipe works with whatever variety of lettuce and nuts. By using a entire egg, you eliminate any hassle to use up the extra white. The result is an smooth, rich sauce that works beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Serves two

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50g external lettuce leaves from 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams shelled roasted pistachios – light-colored seeds such as cashews assist keep a vivid color, but any seeds will do
• 1 small entire egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem heads, split longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small handful soft greens (such as dill), leaves picked intact, stems finely minced

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in a medium saucepan, toss in the external lettuce greens, cover and wilt for approximately a minute, stirring a couple times, till they’ve softened. Transfer the mixture into a container of a immersion processor, include the pistachios and whole egg, then process until smooth. If needed, add more nuts to get a thick consistency. Store in an sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To prepare the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with one tight drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Place on two dishes and enjoy immediately.