Plum And Tomato Salad With Arugula Pesto And Goat Cheese

Ingredients

• Pesto
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 8 cups baby arugula
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely grated pecorino cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil (preferably from Georgia Olive Farms)
• Salad
• 4 large heirloom tomatoes
• 3 ripe plums--halved, pitted and thinly sliced
• ½ cup raspberry vinegar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (preferably from Georgia Olive Farms)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ pound fresh goat's milk cheese (chèvre), crumbled
• 2 cups arugula

Optional Ingredients

• Arugula blossoms, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Make the pesto: To a small skillet set over medium heat, add the pine nuts and cook until they are lightly toasted, shaking the skillet often, for about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium plate, and then add them to a blender jar along with the arugula, garlic, pecorino, salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly begin drizzling in the ⅔ cup of olive oil, blending until very smooth.
2. Assemble the salad: Slice a tomato into 4 rounds. Slice another tomato into 4 wedges. Chop the remaining tomatoes into ½-inch cubes. Place the tomatoes and plum slices on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the raspberry vinegar and remaining ½ cup of oil, then season with the salt and pepper.
3. Onto each of 4 plates place 1 tomato slice, 1 tomato wedge and 2 tomato cubes. Add several plum slices to each plate. Add a few generous dollops of arugula pesto and sprinkle some of the goat's milk cheese over the tomatoes. Finish with a few arugula leaves and blossoms (if using). Serve immediately.