We study the farthest-point distance function, which measures the distance from $z \in \mathbb{C}$ to the farthest point or points of a given compact set $E$ in the plane. The logarithm of this distance is subharmonic as a function of $z$, and equals the logarithmic potential of a unique probability measure with unbounded support. This measure $\sigma_E$ has many interesting properties that reflect the topology and geometry of the compact set $E$. We prove $\sigma_E(E) \leq \frac12$ for polygons inscribed in a circle, with equality if and only if $E$ is a regular $n$-gon for some odd $n$. Also we show $\sigma_E(E) = \frac12$ for smooth convex sets of constant width. We conjecture $\sigma_E(E) \leq \frac12$ for all~$E$.

Applications of minimal surface methods are made to obtain information about univalent harmonic mappings. In the case where the mapping arises as the Poisson integral of a step function, lower bounds for the number of zeros of the dilatation are obtained in terms of the geometry of the image.