A San Francisco food photographer, who has traveled the world photographing artisan foods, Michael Lamotte has created a personal project called From the Source, a blog inspired by his passion for the local food movement. This collection of black and white photos celebrates and reveals the beauty of fresh artisanal foods and products.
“My hope is this project and blog will help promote small, local food purveyors, and through an aesthetic depiction, foster a deeper level of appreciation for the products that I photograph.”
This past week saw his collection of photos featured at the Good Food awards, with photographs chosen to represent each one of the award categories. This is art meets food at the highest level, and many of our readers, who are also subscribers to Out of the Box Collective, will recognize several of the products he photographed from past boxes. We are absolutely captivated by these photos, and so grateful for his permission to share them with you. Feast your eyes on this!
White Hailstorm Radish
Marin Roots Farm, Jesse Kuhn
The heirloom variety, White Hailstorm radish, offers a bounty of pure white, round, crunchy roots. They’re early spring radishes with a surprisingly sweet and mild flavor, white spring.
Marin Roots Farm Marin County California
Terra Firma Farms
Sweet Potato
The center of origin and domestication of sweet potato is thought to be either in Central America or South America. In Central America, sweet potatoes were domesticated at least 5,000 years ago. In South America, Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 BC have been found.
Source: Terra Firma Farms Winters, California
Rancho Gordo
Christmas Limas
Christmas Limas are an intriguing variation on the traditional Lima. In Italy, you’ll find them as “Fagioli del Papa”, or “Pope’s beans”. Also known stateside as “Chestnut Lima”.
I used these beans in a Cassoulet over the holidays, and they where delicious.
Source: Rancho Gordo Napa, California
Perfect Pomegranate
Native to the area of modern-day Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus Mountains and Persia since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as well as the Himalayas in Northern India.Today, it is widely cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, the Middle East, northern Africa and tropical Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the drier parts of southeast Asia. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is also cultivated in parts of California and Arizona.
Via: Ferry Building Marketplace San Francisco, California
Potatoes fresh from the earth
Potatoes were introduced outside the Andes region four centuries ago, and have become an integral part of much of the world’s cuisine. Potatoes are the world’s fourth-largest food crop.
These potatoes were right out of the ground, they are crisp and have a beautiful flavor. Just roast with olive oil and your favorite herbs and salt.
Source: Terra Firma CCOF Winters, California
Organic Butter – Grass feed cows
There European Style Organic Artisan Butter is tumble churned, giving it extra flavor and a creamy texture. Spread this butter on your favorite fresh crusty bread and enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures.
Via: Grand Lake Farmers Market Oakland, California
Source: McClelland’s Dairy Sonoma County, California
Portobello Mushroom
The portobello also called portabella is really simply a brown crimini mushroom in disguise. Once the brown crimini grows to be about 4” – 6” in diameter it’s deemed to be a portobello.
Brush Portobellos with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet cap sides up. Roast in a pre-heated 425 degrees oven for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Via: Ferry Building Marketplace San Francisco, California
Source: Far West Fungi San Francisco, California
Mt Tam Triple Cream Cheese
Creamy Mt Tam is the universal wine pairing cheese. Try it with almost any wine before or after dinner. Mt Tam on a simple crackers is one for my favorite before dinner treats.
Via: Grand Lake Farmers Market Oakland, California
Source: Cowgirl Creamery Petaluma, California
- California Raspberry
Fragrantly sweet, flavorfull and delicately structured, raspberries practically melt in your mouth. Add a little vanilla ice cream, yum.
Via: DEAN & DELUCA St. Helena, California6 Feb 2012 
- Clementine Marmalade
June Taylor follows traditional methods of preserving, uses organically grown fruit and cooks hand-cuts fruit in small batches. If you haven’t tried her jams and marmalades your in for a treat. It the pure essences of the fruit in a spreadable form.
Via: Rainbow Grocery San Francisco, California
Source: June Taylor Company Berkeley, California22 Jan 2012 
Fuyu Persimmon
This fruit was native to China thousands of years ago and then introduced in Japan. Since then, the persimmon has become Japan’s national fruit and one of the traditional foods of the Japanese New Year. The persimmon fruits first arrived in California in the mid 1800s, making it one of the earliest commercially grown fruits in the United States.
Via: Ferry Plaza Farmers Market San Francisco, California