Upcycling Outer Lettuce Greens into Creamy Emulsion – An Zero-Waste Guide
Modeled after a well-known NYC eatery, this groundbreaking technique transforms typically wasted external salad leaves into a velvety green emulsion. It’s a ingenious way to reduce food waste while making something flavorful and flexible.
The Reason Repurpose External Salad Leaves?
These external leaves are the plant’s protective packaging, guarding the delicate inner leaves. While composting produce scraps is a fundamental zero-waste habit, finding new uses for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning excess food into rich compost avoids dump buildup, where it may emit methane, which is a potent climate concern.
This is quite innovative if you think about it: food rots and transforms into the perfect growing medium to nourish further crops, thus closing the cycle and honoring nature’s cycle of growth.
However, with more than 30% surplus food getting made than required, consuming precious resources efficiently is essential. Reducing leftovers not only conserves money but also promotes a increasingly eco-friendly lifestyle.
This Green Emulsion Method
This versatile recipe works with any variety of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating one entire egg, one eliminate any need to repurpose the leftover egg white. The result is a smooth, nutty sauce that works perfectly with salads, roasted veggies, grilled poultry, noodles, or grains.
Yields two
For the Green Emulsion (Makes about 200g)
- 100 grams butter
- 50 grams outer salad greens of two little gems, washed and dried
- 20 grams shelled roasted pistachios – light-colored seeds like blanched almonds assist maintain the vivid green, but any seeds can work
- 1 small whole egg
To Make the Side
- Two little gem lettuces, split lengthways
- Extra-virgin oil, as needed
- Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
- One generous bunch soft herbs (like chives), sprigs left whole, stems thinly minced
Instructions
First making the mayonnaise. Melt the fat in a small saucepan, toss in the external lettuce greens, place a lid and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, until they have softened. Pour this mixture into the container of a stick blender, include the nuts and whole egg, then process till creamy. If needed, incorporate more seeds to get the mayonnaise-like consistency. Keep in a airtight jar in the fridge for as long as three days.
For assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce portion with oil and lemon juice, then season liberally. Coat with one zigzag drizzle of the herb emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Place on two plates and enjoy immediately.
