Rebeccas Table Caprese Salad

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces fresh basil, stemmed (about 4 cups lightly packed leaves)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 medium lemon)
• 2 (8-ounce) packages baby arugula (about 4 cups lightly packed) or other baby greens
• 2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced in 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 2 pints cherry or pear tomatoes, halved (I use a mix of yellow, reds, and oranges, or whatever I have on hand in the garden)
• 6 to 8 medium-to-large, ripe tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch-thick rounds and lightly sprinkled with kosher or sea salt

1. TO MAKE THE PESTO VINAIGRETTE: In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the pine nuts and stir until they turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.
2. (Dont leave them unattended, they burn easily.)
3. Remove from the heat and let the nuts cool.
4. Place the garlic and 1/4 cup of the toasted nuts in the jar of a blender or work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process at medium speed until combined.
5. Add the basil, salt, and 1/2 cup of the olive oil, and blend for a few minutes until the basil is thoroughly pureed.
6. Add the lemon juice and the remainder of the olive oil and pulse a few times, just until combined.
7. Set aside.
8. TO COMPOSE THE SALAD: Using a large platter, make a generous bed of arugula in the center, and arrange a line of overlapping mozzarella slices on top of the greens.
9. Arrange overlapping slices of tomatoes on 1 side of the mozzarella and a mound of the halved cherry tomatoes on the other side.
10. Decorate the mozzarella with a generous drizzle of the vinaigrette and pour the rest into a pitcher for serving on the side.
11. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of pine nuts on top of the dressed salad just before serving.
12. Whether serving sliced fresh tomatoes as part of a salad or eating them solo in their natural glory, I always sprinkle them lightly with salt to bring out their flavor.

pine nuts, garlic, fresh basil, kosher salt, extravirgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, baby arugula, mozzarella cheese, pints, tomatoes

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rebecca-s-table-caprese-salad-382586 (may not work)