Page 24 August 2016 Need a menu? Visit our web site: WWW. PETESFISHANDCHIPS .COM Burgers, Dogs, Burritos! Scrumptious Fish & Chips! Fresh Breaded Onion Rings! Children’s Menus at Some Locations! Drive Thru/Take-Out Is Our Specialty! ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛ Family Owned & Operated Since 1947 Knowledge is the greatest catch! Pete’s welcomes you back to school WE’RE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU AT ANY OF OUR 8 CONVENIENT VALLEY LOCATIONS! • 22 S. Mesa Dr, Mesa • 1017 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe • 1111 E. Buckeye Rd, Phoenix • 2628 W. Van Buren, Phoenix • 3920 S. Central Ave, Phoenix • 4121 N. 44th St, Phoenix FAX: 602-952-9233 • 5516 W. Glendale Ave, Phoenix • 9309 W. Van Buren, Tolleson By Lisa Weisenburger Before Katie and David Kohne bought their home in Arcadia, they searched and visited open houses and model homes for some time. You see, neither Katie nor David is originally from the area. Katie is from Sapulpa, Oklahoma and David is from McMinnville, Oregon. Once this young couple discovered the green lush neighborhoods of Arcadia, they knew this was the area where they wanted to start their family. Katie said she loves to garden and her husband David loves a project. So when they settled on their home in Arcadia, which needed work and had space for growing plants, it was perfect. Early in the renovation, though, a decision had to be made about the new layout of the home. David felt the home lent itself to an addition toward the backyard of the home. “But what about the tree? We can’t lose the tree!” said Katie referring to a mature fig tree in the way of the proposed addition. Since this recipe is for fig jam, you can guess how this remodel story ends and the cookbook story begins. The lovely addition was attached to the street- facing side of the house and the tree lives on, generously thanking the Kohnes with its delicious fruit. Katie admitted, “I really knew very little about figs and wasn’t necessarily a canning connoisseur, but I hate to just get rid of something growing so beautifully.” After Katie researched the fruit and hunted down recipes, her kitchen became a test kitchen for fig preserves also known as fig jam. Overtime, Katie perfected her fig jam recipe. And because fig jam is best made in small batches, and the figs from her tree are so prolific, Katie also makes a strawberry fig jam. Katie is not certain of the variety of fig tree she inherited, but it is about 16 feet tall and has a large shade-producing canopy with the classic, oversized dark green leaf. The skin of the fruit is a greenish yellow and the flesh is rich amber to light pink in color. It seems this tree loves the hot weather and typically peaks in mid- to late-August. “This year with our unseasonably warm June,” Katie said, “the figs are poppin’ a little early. Time to make some jam.” When asked what other ways Katie uses her glorious figs, Katie’s response was, “mostly jam.” For example, she a nd Dav id e njoy bruschetta with prosciutto, figs and mascarpone, but rather than use sliced figs, she spreads the crostini with the fig jam. The flavor profile is the same and they can have it even when the tree isn’t ripe with fruit. David and Katie have quickly grown roots in their Arcadia home. They also added a branch to their own family tree and recently welcomed precious Rosie into their family. While Rosie still has no idea what to do with a fig, It won’t be long before she’s in the kitchen with her mom making fig jam. Sealing the flavors of summertime in a jar ARCADIA COOKBOOK I really knew very little about figs and wasn’t necessarily a canning connoisseur, but I hate to just get rid of something growing so beautifully.” ‘‘

Page 25 August 2016 Fig and Strawberry Jam • 3 cups peeled figs • 3 cups hulled and mashed strawberries • 1 packet dry granulated pectin • 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • canning jars and lids Helpful Canning Tools: • jar lifting tongs • lid lifter • canning jar funnel Prepare jars: The easiest way to prepare canning jars is to run them through the sanitize cycle in the dishwasher. If your dishwasher does not have this capability, you can wash the jars in hot, soapy water, rinse, then boil them for 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine 1 packet of pectin with 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir together and set aside. This helps to keep the pectin from clumping when cooking. In a large pot, add fruit. Stir in the lemon juice, pectin-sugar mixture, cinnamon and 2 additional cups of sugar. Cook over medium to high heat, stirring often to prevent burning. Bring to a full boil. Once it has reached a full boil, add the remaining 2 cups of sugar and bring to a full hard boil for 1 minute. Continue stirring to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir completely. Fill jars a quarter inch from the top and screw the lid on tight. Make sure to put lids in hot water for a couple minutes prior to screwing on in order to soften the gummed surface. Fill a large pot with water until it’s full enough to cover the jars with at least 2 inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil. Place the sealed jam-filled jars into the boiling water for ten minutes in order to process and avoid spoilage. Remove jars from water and cool. Once jars are cooled, you can verify they are sealed by ensuring the lid does not pop. Enjoy your jam!