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Drawing from an acclaimed NYC restaurant, this innovative method converts usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into an luxurious green emulsion. This is a brilliant approach to minimize food waste while producing something flavorful and adaptable.

Why Use External Salad Leaves?

Those external leaves serve as nature’s natural wrapping, guarding the delicate inner lettuce. While recycling produce trimmings is one fundamental sustainable habit, finding creative applications for them is additionally impactful. Converting excess food into fertile compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they can release greenhouse gases, a potent climate concern.

It’s quite radical when you think about it: produce decomposes and becomes that perfect soil to nourish further plants, thereby completing this cycle and honoring nature’s process of growth.

Yet, given over 30% extra produce being made compared to needed, consuming precious resources wisely is essential. Reducing leftovers not only saves money but also supports a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Green Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable formula functions with whatever type of lettuce and seeds. By using one whole egg, you avoid any hassle to use up an leftover egg white. This outcome is a creamy, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, pasta, or rice.

Serves two

For the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external lettuce greens of two little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – light-colored nuts like cashews assist maintain the vivid green, but whatever nuts will work
• One small entire egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch fresh herbs (such as chives), sprigs picked intact, stems finely chopped

Steps

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the external salad greens, place a lid and cook for approximately a minute, stirring once or twice, until they have softened. Pour this mixture into a jug of an immersion processor, add the nuts and whole egg, then process until smooth. As necessary, incorporate more seeds to get a mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with one zigzag drizzle of the herb emulsion, then top with the herbs. Place on 2 plates and serve right away.