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Drawing from a popular NYC restaurant, this groundbreaking technique turns typically wasted external salad leaves into an velvety green “mayonnaise”. It’s an brilliant way to cut down on food waste while making a condiment delicious and flexible.

Why Use External Salad Leaves?

These outer greens serve as the plant’s protective packaging, guarding the tender inner leaves. Although recycling produce scraps is one basic sustainable practice, finding creative uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Converting excess food into fertile compost avoids dump buildup, where they may emit greenhouse gases, a potent environmental issue.

It’s rather radical if you think about it: produce decomposes and becomes the ideal soil to feed further crops, thus closing the loop and respecting nature’s process of growth.

However, with over 30% extra produce getting made compared to needed, using precious ingredients efficiently is crucial. Minimizing waste not only conserves money but also supports a increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

The Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable recipe functions with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating one whole egg, you eliminate the hassle to repurpose the extra egg white. This result is an smooth, nutty sauce that works perfectly with greens, grilled veggies, grilled chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves two

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

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens from two little gems, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white seeds such as blanched almonds help keep the vivid green, though any seeds can do
• One medium whole egg

For the Side

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (like chives), sprigs left whole, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in one small pot, add the outer salad leaves, place a lid and wilt for about 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, until they’ve wilted. Transfer this mixture into the jug of an stick blender, add the nuts and egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to get a mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in an sealed container in the fridge for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each lettuce portion with oil and acid, then season generously. Coat with a tight drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two plates and enjoy immediately.