Mike and the guys left this morning at 4 am for Montana. They’ll be up near Helena for the next 10 days hunting elk and deer. This is their yearly guys trip, usually they hunt in Washington, but this year they decided to take a field trip to MT instead. Each year they camp in the woods, hunt all day, take turns eating each other’s cooking and decompress from real life.

Over the years they’ve collected quite the gear. A 12′x12′ wall tent with wood stove. A 10′x20′ cook tent. A 50 gallon drum with toilet seat. And this year a backwoods shower. So however much they like to say that they’re roughing it, all the women know better.

Two years ago they switched from rifle hunting to bow hunting. And we haven’t had big game in the freezer since. Hopefully this year they’ll come back with more than smelly camo and stories.

While Mike is gone it’s just me and the menagerie here at the house. I’m taking advantage of his absence to work some longer hours to catch up at work, can apples and apple sauce, freeze corn and green beans, and most of all, eat squash.

Yep, you read that right. Mike doesn’t like squash and so I rarely cook it. But I lurve squash. And so take his absence as my opportunity to gorge myself on squash every year. This year I’m planning on spaghetti, acorn, butternut and maybe something else.

I kicked off my squash extravaganza by eating an entire half of a spaghetti squash tonight. I picked it up from Frog Song Farm at last Sunday’s market. I cooked it in the microwave, then scooped it out and mixed it with grated parmesan, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and butter. Oh boy, was it good. I can’t wait to eat the other half for lunch tomorrow. But this time I might go the purist route and eat it with just butter, salt and pepper.

Sunday night I think I’ll make a pureed squash soup, perhaps a curried version. Yum.

*****

Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes
Serves 2 people (or 1 if you’re really hungry)

• 1/2 medium spaghetti squash
• 12 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbs butter
• shredded parmesan to taste
• salt and pepper to tast

- Cook the squash. Easiest way is to slice it in half and then de-seed it. Put it cut side down in a glass dish and put 1/4 c water around it. Cover with cling wrap and microwave for 12 minutes until soft.

- In the meantime slice tomatoes and basil and mix with parmesan in bowl.

- Scoop cooked squash into bowl with tomato mixture. Add butter and stir to combine.

- Serve in bowls with salt & pepper to taste.