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Inspired by an acclaimed New York eatery, the groundbreaking technique turns usually thrown-out outer salad leaves into a smooth green emulsion. It’s an brilliant approach to cut down on food waste while making something delicious and flexible.

Why Use Outer Lettuce Greens?

These external leaves are the plant’s protective wrapping, shielding the delicate inner leaves. While composting produce scraps is one basic sustainable practice, finding new uses for these parts is even more impactful. Turning surplus ingredients into rich soil prevents landfill buildup, where it may emit greenhouse gases, a powerful environmental issue.

It’s rather radical when you consider over it: produce rots and becomes the perfect soil to feed more crops, thus closing the cycle and respecting the cycle of life.

Yet, given more than 30% surplus food being made than needed, using precious ingredients wisely is essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also supports a increasingly eco-friendly way of living.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Method

The adaptable recipe works with whatever variety of lettuce and seeds. Through incorporating a entire egg, one avoid any need to use up the leftover white. This outcome is a creamy, nutty sauce that works beautifully with salads, grilled vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or grains.

Serves two

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce leaves of 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 20g peeled roasted nuts – light-colored nuts like cashews assist maintain the vivid color, but whatever nuts can do
• One small entire egg

For the Salad

• Two little gem heads, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as desired
• 1 small bunch fresh greens (like dill), sprigs picked intact, stems thinly minced

Steps

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in one medium pot, add the outer lettuce greens, place a lid and cook for approximately 60 seconds, mixing once or twice, till they have softened. Transfer this contents into the container of a immersion processor, add the nuts and whole egg, then process till smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for as long as three days.

To assemble the salad, sprinkle each lettuce portion with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Dress with one tight drizzle of the green emulsion, then top with the greens. Arrange on two plates and serve right away.