Being a squash lover is a lonely business at my house. No one else really cares for it, and I find myself having to cook it just for myself. This also means that I have been caught more than once having more squash planted in the garden than I could possibly use.

So, this year I took a more conservative approach and set out one zucchini plant. Period. It has started producing, and I have a steady trickle of zucchini for one-person sautes, which is how I prefer to eat zucchini.

It’s worth noting that, in Kansas, summer squash is in its prime in the early summer. While squash plants may continue to produce through July, at some point squash bugs invariably become a factor and it takes more and more time and energy to keep the plants going. Fortunately, this usually happens about the time I grow tired of zucchini, and I surrender the fight.

After the recent rains, my solitary zucchini developed downy mildew on its lowest leaves but the rest of the plant is so far unaffected. Plants that sit low to the ground are susceptible to this during protracted periods of rain. The best way to control this and to keep it from spreading is to prune the infected leaves.

When I saute zucchini, I always start with onion and garlic, then add herbs and perhaps other vegetables that are handy. I generally sprinkle it with grated Parmesan or another hard cheese. Zucchini accommodates a wide range of flavor and doesn’t punish you for experimentation. A nice saute can be eaten as a side dish or over pasta.

I’ve learned that many people are not comfortable improvising in the kitchen, so I was pleased to run across this recipe, which describes this kind of dish. I adapted this recipe from Smith & Hawken’s “Gardeners 2/3 Community Cookbook.” For a less tomatoey dish, use fewer tomatoes.

Zucchini Sauteed with Tomatoes and Basil

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3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium to large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

7 to 8 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped, juices reserved

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

6 large leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 heaping tablespoons coarsely grated Parmesan

Heat oil in a large nonreactive pot. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juices and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Add the squash, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and continue cooking until the squash is very tender and the liquid is reduced and saucy, about 30 minutes.

Serve immediately, with the remaining Parmesan.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.