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Modeled after a popular NYC restaurant, the creative method transforms usually thrown-out external salad leaves into a luxurious green emulsion. This is an brilliant approach to minimize kitchen waste while producing something flavorful and flexible.

The Reason Use Outer Salad Greens?

These outer greens are nature’s protective wrapping, guarding the delicate inner leaves. While recycling vegetable scraps is one fundamental zero-waste practice, discovering creative uses for these parts is even more impactful. Converting excess ingredients into fertile soil prevents landfill accumulation, where it can emit methane, a powerful environmental concern.

This is rather radical when you think about it: food decomposes and transforms into the ideal soil to nourish further plants, thereby closing this cycle and honoring the process of growth.

Yet, with over 30% extra produce getting made compared to needed, using valuable resources wisely is crucial. Minimizing waste not only conserves cash but also promotes the increasingly eco-friendly way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This versatile recipe functions with whatever type of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating a entire egg, one eliminate any hassle to use up the extra egg white. This result is an creamy, nutty dressing that works perfectly with salads, grilled veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Serves 2

To Make the Herb Emulsion (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce greens from two romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams shelled salted pistachios – light-colored seeds like blanched almonds help maintain the vivid color, though whatever seeds can work
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Salad

• 2 little gem lettuces, halved longwise
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch soft herbs (like chives), leaves left whole, stems thinly chopped

Steps

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Heat the butter in one medium pot, toss in the external salad leaves, place a lid and wilt for about a minute, stirring a couple times, till they’ve wilted. Pour this mixture into a container of an immersion blender, include the nuts and egg, then blend until smooth. As necessary, add more seeds to get a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.

For prepare the salad, sprinkle each gem half with oil and acid, then salt generously. Dress with a tight pattern of the green mayonnaise, then top with the greens. Place on 2 plates and enjoy right away.