The World Table

An interactive culinary compendium: recipes, lexicon and study

The larder by region · Chef de Partie

Southwest Vegetables

Local harvests, seasonal flavors, timeless traditions.

24 on the plate · read, never graded

Southwest Vegetables: 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.

  • Pueblo Chiles prints “Mild, earthy, rich”. The Pueblo chile, the Mosco and Mirasol type grown around Pueblo, Colorado, is medium hot, hotter than a typical Hatch or Anaheim green chile, so read the profile as medium hot, earthy, meaty rather than mild. Pueblo growers and Colorado State University put the Mosco at roughly 5,000 to 20,000 Scoville, several times the heat of an Anaheim and above the Big Jim Hatch, and the growers market it as hotter than Hatch.
  • Potatoes prints “SPINACH”. The card is mislabeled and should read Potatoes, since the drawing is red and yellow potatoes and the August to November season and the hearty, earthy, versatile profile are potato facts. Spinach is a tender cool season leaf, about 91 percent water in the Lexicon, that no one calls hearty or a storage crop, while the picture plainly shows tubers and the Southwest potato harvest in Colorado's San Luis Valley runs late summer into fall.
  • Arugula prints “Mild, fresh, slightly sweet”. Arugula is peppery and nutty with a sharp mustard like bite, so read the profile as peppery, nutty, green rather than mild and sweet. The Lexicon entry Arugula teaches that it is a brassica whose chewing releases isothiocyanates, the same reaction that sharpens mustard and horseradish, and only the youngest baby leaf is mild.

On the plate

The vegetables

  • Chili Peppers Season June to OctoberFlavor Spicy, smoky, bright
  • Bell Peppers Season July to OctoberFlavor Sweet, crisp, juicy The Lexicon
  • Pueblo Chiles Season August to OctoberFlavor Mild, earthy, rich
  • Tomatillos Season July to SeptemberFlavor Tart, bright, tangy The Lexicon
  • Corn Season July to SeptemberFlavor Sweet, earthy, crisp
  • Zucchini Season June to OctoberFlavor Mild, tender, fresh The Lexicon
  • Acorn Squash Season September to NovemberFlavor Nutty, sweet, creamy The Lexicon
  • Butternut Squash Season September to NovemberFlavor Sweet, earthy, velvety The Lexicon
  • Eggplant Season June to OctoberFlavor Mild, silky, slightly bitter
  • Green Beans Season June to SeptemberFlavor Crisp, fresh, earthy The Lexicon
  • Onions Season August to NovemberFlavor Pungent, sweet, savory
  • Garlic Season July to SeptemberFlavor Bold, aromatic, spicy The Lexicon
  • Leek Season October to MarchFlavor Mild, sweet, oniony The Lexicon
  • Cabbage Season September to NovemberFlavor Crisp, mild, slightly sweet
  • Kale Season October to AprilFlavor Earthy, tangy, robust
  • Radishes Season March to OctoberFlavor Peppery, crisp, fresh The Lexicon
  • Carrots Season September to NovemberFlavor Sweet, earthy, crunchy The Lexicon
  • Beets Season July to OctoberFlavor Earthy, sweet, rich The Lexicon
  • Turnips Season September to NovemberFlavor Mild, peppery, earthy The Lexicon
  • Potatoes printed “Spinach” Season August to NovemberFlavor Hearty, earthy, versatile
  • Arugula Season Spring to FallFlavor Mild, fresh, slightly sweet The Lexicon
  • Swiss Chard Season May to OctoberFlavor Earthy, mild, juicy The Lexicon
  • Collard Greens Season October to MarchFlavor Bold, earthy, slightly bitter The Lexicon
  • Jalapeños Season June to SeptemberFlavor Spicy, fresh, crisp The Lexicon

Also on the plate

The region

  • Deserts
  • Mountains
  • Rivers
  • Plateaus
  • Great food

States on the map

  • Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring: Greens, Radishes, Asparagus
  • Summer: Peppers, Corn, Zucchini
  • Fall: Squash, Tomatoes, Root Vegetables
  • Winter: Kale, Collards, Carrots

Flavor profile key

  • Sweet, Sour, Salty
  • Spicy, Earthy, Nutty
  • Crisp, Creamy, Bitter

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 deserts, mountains and river valleys to the rich soils of the Southwest. A region of bold flavors. · Same land, different seasons, endless flavors. · Local fields, desert grown, high elevation, river valleys. · Southwest vegetables. Bold flavors, deep roots, lasting traditions. · Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Nevada