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Modeled after a popular NYC restaurant, this creative technique transforms usually thrown-out outer salad greens into a smooth green “mayonnaise”. It’s a smart way to minimize kitchen waste while producing a condiment flavorful and versatile.

Why Use Outer Salad Greens?

Those external greens serve as the plant’s protective wrapping, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. While composting produce scraps is a basic zero-waste practice, finding creative applications for them is even more impactful. Converting excess food into fertile compost avoids dump accumulation, where it may release methane, which is a powerful environmental issue.

It’s rather innovative when you consider over it: produce decomposes and becomes that perfect growing medium to feed further crops, thus closing this loop and honoring nature’s process of life.

Yet, given over thirty percent surplus produce getting made compared to needed, consuming valuable resources wisely is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes the more sustainable way of living.

The Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

This adaptable formula functions with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. By using a whole egg, one eliminate the need to repurpose an leftover egg white. This outcome is a smooth, rich sauce that pairs perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, seared poultry, pasta, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens of two little gems, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white seeds like blanched almonds assist maintain the vivid green, but any seeds will do
• 1 small entire egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One generous bunch soft herbs (like parsley), leaves picked intact, stems thinly chopped

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in one medium saucepan, add the external salad leaves, cover and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, until they’ve softened. Pour this mixture into a container of a stick blender, include the pistachios and whole egg, then blend until creamy. If needed, add more nuts to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each gem portion with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Dress with a tight drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Place on 2 dishes and serve immediately.