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Drawing from a popular NYC restaurant, this creative technique transforms usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into an velvety herbaceous “mayonnaise”. It’s an smart way to minimize leftovers while making something flavorful and versatile.

Why Repurpose External Lettuce Greens?

Those external leaves serve as nature’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inner lettuce. Although recycling produce trimmings is one fundamental sustainable habit, finding creative uses for these parts is even more beneficial. Converting surplus ingredients into fertile soil avoids dump accumulation, where it may release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate issue.

It’s rather radical if you think about it: food decomposes and transforms into the ideal soil to feed further plants, thus closing the cycle and honoring the process of growth.

However, given more than 30% surplus food getting produced compared to needed, using precious resources wisely becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes the more eco-friendly way of living.

This Green Emulsion Recipe

This versatile recipe works with whatever variety of salad greens and nuts. By using a whole egg, one avoid any need to repurpose the leftover white. This outcome is a creamy, nutty sauce that pairs beautifully with greens, roasted veggies, seared chicken, noodles, or rice.

Yields two

For the Green Emulsion (Makes approximately 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams outer lettuce leaves from two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled salted pistachios – white seeds such as cashews assist keep a bright green, but any seeds can work
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Side

• 2 little gem lettuces, split lengthways
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• 1 generous bunch fresh greens (like chives), leaves left whole, stems thinly chopped

Steps

First making the emulsion. Melt the butter in one medium pot, toss in the outer lettuce leaves, cover and cook for approximately a minute, stirring once or twice, till they have wilted. Transfer this mixture into a jug of an immersion processor, include the pistachios and egg, then blend until creamy. If needed, incorporate extra seeds to get the thick consistency. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To prepare the dish, drizzle each gem half with oil and lemon juice, then salt generously. Dress with one zigzag drizzle of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on two dishes and serve right away.