Transforming External Salad Greens into Rich Emulsion – An Sustainable Recipe

Inspired by an acclaimed NYC eatery, the creative technique turns often-discarded outer salad leaves into an smooth green emulsion. It’s a ingenious way to minimize kitchen waste while creating something flavorful and versatile.

Why Use External Salad Greens?

These outer leaves are the plant’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inside leaves. While composting produce scraps is a fundamental zero-waste habit, finding new uses for them is even more impactful. Turning surplus food into rich soil avoids dump accumulation, where it may emit greenhouse gases, which is a potent environmental concern.

It’s quite radical if you consider over it: food decomposes and becomes that ideal soil to feed more plants, thus completing the loop and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.

Yet, with more than thirty percent surplus produce being produced compared to required, using precious ingredients wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing leftovers not only saves money but also supports the increasingly sustainable lifestyle.

This Green Emulsion Recipe

This adaptable formula functions with any variety of salad greens and nuts. Through incorporating one entire egg, one eliminate any hassle to use up an extra white. The outcome is an creamy, nutty sauce that works beautifully with greens, grilled veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or grains.

Serves 2

To Make the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200g)

• 100g butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens of two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20 grams peeled salted pistachios – white nuts such as blanched almonds help maintain a bright color, though whatever nuts will work
• 1 small entire egg

For the Side

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, split longwise
• Cold-pressed olive oil, as needed
• Lemon juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous handful fresh greens (like dill), leaves picked whole, stalks thinly chopped

Instructions

First making the mayonnaise. Heat the butter in one small saucepan, toss in the external lettuce greens, cover and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, until they have wilted. Transfer this contents into the container of an stick processor, include the pistachios and egg, then process till creamy. If needed, add extra nuts to get the thick consistency. Store in a airtight container in the fridge for as long as three days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each lettuce half with oil and acid, then salt generously. Coat with a zigzag pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the herbs. Arrange on two dishes and serve immediately.