Transforming External Salad Greens into Rich Mayonnaise – An Zero-Waste Guide

Modeled after a popular New York restaurant, the groundbreaking technique converts typically wasted external salad greens into an velvety green “mayonnaise”. It’s a ingenious way to reduce food waste while producing something delicious and versatile.

The Reason Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

Those external greens serve as the plant’s natural packaging, shielding the delicate inside lettuce. Although recycling vegetable trimmings is one fundamental sustainable practice, discovering new applications for these parts is even more impactful. Turning surplus ingredients into rich compost avoids landfill buildup, where it may release methane, a potent environmental concern.

It’s rather innovative when you think over it: food rots and transforms into the perfect growing medium to feed more crops, thereby closing the loop and respecting nature’s process of life.

Yet, with more than 30% surplus food being made compared to required, consuming precious ingredients wisely is crucial. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also supports the increasingly sustainable way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The versatile recipe works with any variety of salad greens and nuts. By using one entire egg, one eliminate the hassle to repurpose an leftover white. The outcome is a creamy, rich dressing that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled vegetables, grilled poultry, pasta, or grains.

Yields 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Yields about 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g external lettuce greens of 2 little gems, washed and dried
• 20 grams peeled salted nuts – white seeds like cashews assist maintain a vivid green, though any seeds can do
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch fresh greens (such as dill), sprigs left intact, stalks thinly minced

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Heat the fat in one medium saucepan, add the external lettuce leaves, cover and wilt for approximately 60 seconds, stirring a couple times, till they have softened. Transfer this mixture into a container of a stick blender, include the nuts and whole egg, then process till creamy. If needed, incorporate more seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like texture. Store in an sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.

To prepare the salad, sprinkle each gem half with olive oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.