Heirloom Tomatoes with Mayonnaise

Posted by slowfoodiebear on May 7, 2013 · 1 Comment 

I’ve been working on my food photography since going to a Food Photography seminar with Andrea and Sarah, the masterminds behind Beyond the Flavor.  I’m still using the camera on my phone, but I’m making an effort to take my dishes outside to photograph them in natural light.  I learned that it makes the color more natural and allows for shadows which create depth to the image.

I photographed a snack of sliced tomatoes topped with homemade mayonnaise that I made for my mom and I one afternoon last week.  Tomatoes aren’t in season here yet, but there were imported, plump and colorful ones at Whole Foods that I couldn’t resist.  I made an herbed mayonnaise inspired by the basil mayonnaise that the Barefoot Contessa serves with her roasted filet of beef.  Mine included 2 egg yolks, mustard, about 3 tbsp of lemon juice, a splash of champagne vinegar, olive oil, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  I love how fresh, pastured egg yolks and olive oil make the mayonnaise a bright, rich yellow!

Here’s a close-up picture:

You can even see the salt and pepper I sprinkled overtop of the tomatoes.  I think that’s one of the most important things you can do to a fresh tomato: salt it.  It turns the juicy sweetness into something savory and irresistible.  I’m also very proud of my plating:

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Filed under Charlottesville, herbs, mayonnaise, olive oil, Paleo, Side Dish, tomato · Tagged with Barefoot Contessa, basil, Beyond the Flavor, mayonnaise, olive oil, tomatoes