It's interesting that this finished dead last. I think there's others that placed better that are far worse. Don't get me wrong, your focus was off, and it is a bit dark, but I can still see it hanging on a restaurant wall composition wise.
This is one of those images that makes you wonder about the psychology of DPC. Was it the technicals? Was it the abstractness? Was it simply that people didn't think that salad was a recipe worthy food? It's not THAT bad... weird.
I like that you went with a close-up shot, however the lighting is very dark, and the highlights are harsh. Suggest using multiple light sources to help add depth and definition.