TextEdit: Default font and type size change when inserting table

I carefully changed the default font and type size to my desired ones (Times New Roman, regular, 14 point) in TextEdit Settings. I checked to see the new default work in the text. But when I go to insert a table, the default font changes automatically revert to the system default (Helvetica, Regular, 12 point), and I can't find any way to change it.

This looks like a programming bug to me, but if there's a workaround, please let me know. (I use TextEdit for most of my composition because Pages has become so bloated and complex it takes me half an hour to do anything special.).