The World Table

An interactive culinary compendium: recipes, lexicon and study

The larder by region · Chef de Partie

Midwest Fruits

Local harvests, seasonal flavors, timeless traditions.

25 on the plate · read, never graded

Midwest Fruits: an illustrated reference plate. Its full text is transcribed below.
Open the plate at full size for the small print. Pinch to zoom on a phone.

What the plate gets wrong

The picture was generated, and these are its errors of fact, checked against the kitchen and the Lexicon. Read the plate with them.

  • Figs prints “Figs, Season August to September”. Figs are a Mediterranean and California crop and not a Midwest harvest, so any fig on a Midwest menu is shipped in rather than picked locally. The common fig is not winter hardy across the twelve states on the plate's own map, and the app's Lexicon places the crop in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, the Levant and California, with no Midwest orchard or market crop.
  • Black Raspberries prints “Season July to August”. Midwest black raspberries ripen from late June to mid July and are finished well before August, ahead of the red raspberries beside them. Black raspberries carry a single early summer crop about two weeks ahead of summer red raspberries, and Ohio, the leading black raspberry state, picks from late June to mid July.
  • Plantain prints “Plantain, Season August to October”. Plantains are a tropical cooking banana that cannot be grown in any Midwest state and have no Midwest season, so this card does not belong on a local harvest plate. Plantain is a frost tender tropical plant whose United States crop comes from Puerto Rico, Hawaii and imports, and the app's Lexicon teaches it as a vegetable staple of West Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.

On the plate

The fruits

  • Apples Season September to OctoberFlavor Crisp, sweet, tart, aromatic The Lexicon
  • Cherries Season June to JulyFlavor Sweet, juicy, tart, rich
  • Strawberries Season May to JuneFlavor Sweet, bright, juicy, fragrant The Lexicon
  • Blueberries Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, tangy, juicy, mild The Lexicon
  • Raspberries Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, tart, juicy, delicate The Lexicon
  • Blackberries Season July to SeptemberFlavor Bold, tangy, juicy, earthy The Lexicon
  • Peaches Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, juicy, floral, rich The Lexicon
  • Plums Season July to SeptemberFlavor Sweet, tart, juicy, velvety The Lexicon
  • Nectarines Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, smooth, juicy, aromatic The Lexicon
  • Pears Season August to OctoberFlavor Sweet, juicy, buttery, mild The Lexicon
  • Cranberries Season October to NovemberFlavor Tart, bright, refreshing, tangy The Lexicon
  • Gooseberries Season June to JulyFlavor Tart, tangy, floral, unique The Lexicon
  • Elderberries Season July to SeptemberFlavor Earthy, tart, musky, rich The Lexicon
  • Cantaloupe Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, juicy, refreshing, melon The Lexicon
  • Watermelon Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, crisp, hydrating, refreshing The Lexicon
  • Huckleberries Season June to JulyFlavor Tart, sweet, earthy, wild The Lexicon
  • Serviceberries Season June to JulyFlavor Tart, sweet, juicy, rich
  • Mulberries Season June to JulyFlavor Sweet, earthy, juicy, delicate The Lexicon
  • Figs Season August to SeptemberFlavor Sweet, rich, honeyed, soft
  • Quince Season October to NovemberFlavor Tart, floral, dense, aromatic The Lexicon
  • Apricots Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, tangy, juicy, velvety The Lexicon
  • Black Raspberries Season July to AugustFlavor Sweet, tart, juicy, complex
  • Pawpaw Season September to OctoberFlavor Custard-like, sweet, tropical, rich The Lexicon
  • Plantain Season August to OctoberFlavor Starchy, mild, sweet, creamy The Lexicon
  • Crabapples Season September to OctoberFlavor Tart, crisp, tangy, bright The Lexicon

Also on the plate

The region

  • Rich soil
  • Clean water
  • Strong roots
  • Great food

The map

  • States: N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio
  • Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie
  • Local fruits, seasonal harvests, Midwestern pride

Midwest favorites

  • Apples, Cherries, Berries, Peaches, Sweet Corn, Hard Squash

Local harvests

  • Farmers Markets, U-Pick Farms, Roadside Stands, Family Farms

Quiz yourself

Up to 8 questions drawn from the plate, answers and all. Nothing is recorded: the plate is a reference, and the deck and the Lexicon are where a word is graded.

Printed around the edge: Local harvests, seasonal flavors, timeless traditions. · From the Great Lakes to the Prairie Fields, a region of abundant harvests · Heartland farms, fresh flavors, lasting traditions · Healthy soil, thriving farms, fresher tomorrows · Great Lakes, Prairie Farms, Rolling Fields · Fresh, local, seasonal.