I was probably about 19 years old when I first heard Tom Waits. So that is about thirty years listening to him and now my children, or at least the eldest one, are getting close to 19 and it seems about time that they should be getting him too. So I have decided we are listening to nothing but Tom all week and for Sunday night we have started with One from the heart. 

We will see how we get on.

Outside it has been the last day of our Indian summer. There are brown leaves on the ground but it feels as if the trees are all holding back and keeping their green leaves up there to take the last few days benefit of heat in the sun. The ground has been brittle and dry and I spent time this afternoon clearing some space for garlic. The seeds should arrive this week from the Isle of Wight. I have grown garlic before when I shoved a couple of cloves into the ground and forgot about them for six months.

It was warm enough for the barbeque this afternoon. I cooked a spatchcocked chicken marinaded in garlic, lemon juice and sumac. But the highlight was the squid.

All that Wards had yesterday were huge squid too big for the pasta I was going to cook. Last night I used up the tentacles and a few slices from the body and the rest of the sac went into the fridge.

As the barbeque got to its hottest I took the squid out of the fridge and cut it in two. I then put a few light cuts down it and smeared it with garlic, olive oil and chilli.

It only needed a couple of minutes on the rack over the coals and it was done. It was then sliced up up and mixed in with chickpeas, rocket and more olive oil. My lunch tomorrow.