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Modeled after a well-known New York restaurant, the groundbreaking method turns typically wasted outer lettuce greens into an luxurious green “mayonnaise”. It’s a smart approach to cut down on food waste while making something delicious and flexible.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

Those external leaves are the plant’s protective wrapping, guarding the tender inner lettuce. While recycling produce scraps is a fundamental sustainable practice, finding creative uses for these parts is even more impactful. Converting surplus ingredients into rich compost prevents landfill accumulation, where they may emit greenhouse gases, a powerful climate issue.

This is quite radical if you consider over it: produce rots and becomes that ideal growing medium to nourish more crops, thereby closing this cycle and honoring nature’s process of growth.

Yet, given more than thirty percent extra produce being made than required, using valuable ingredients wisely becomes essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves cash but also promotes a increasingly sustainable way of living.

The Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Recipe

The versatile formula works with whatever type of salad greens and seeds. Through using one entire egg, you avoid the need to use up an extra egg white. The outcome is an smooth, rich dressing that pairs perfectly with greens, roasted vegetables, seared poultry, noodles, or grains.

Yields two

For the Green “Mayonnaise” (Yields about 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g outer lettuce greens of 2 romaine or butter lettuce, washed and dried
• 20g peeled roasted nuts – white seeds such as cashews assist maintain the bright color, but whatever nuts will work
• One medium entire egg

For the Side

• 2 romaine or butter heads, split longwise
• Extra-virgin oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One small bunch soft herbs (like chervil), sprigs left whole, stalks finely chopped

Instructions

First preparing the emulsion. Melt the fat in a medium pot, toss in the outer lettuce leaves, cover and wilt for about a minute, mixing a couple times, until they’ve softened. Transfer the mixture into the jug of an stick processor, add the nuts and egg, then process till creamy. If needed, add more nuts to get the thick texture. Store in an sealed container in the fridge for as long as three days.

For prepare the salad, drizzle each lettuce half with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the green mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two plates and serve right away.