In Virginia Willis' latest book, "Secrets of the Southern Table" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30) you'll find great recipes, photos and a food tour of the global south. There are stories about chefs, farmers and cooks, plus some of the most delicious food photos I've seen in a long time. Virginia Willis is a southern powerhouse chef who knows her way around that part of the country and wants to share it with you.

I thought her pan-seared summer squash with spiced lemon vinaigrette would be a refreshing and flavorful vegetable dish for you to try as we begin to wind down the summer days. Willis explains that summer squash thrive in the semitropical South. Often at the end of summer and going into fall there is more squash available nationwide; this recipe is one more way to enjoy summer's squash bounty. Remember, this tasty dish is equally good hot, warm, cold or room temperature.

Pan-Seared Summer Squash with Spiced Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 4 to 6

3 or 4 small yellow squash (about 1 pound)

3 or 4 small green squash (about 1 pound)

Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon harissa or chile paste, or to taste (see note)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Coarse kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Trim the stem and flower ends of the squash, and then use a chef's knife to quarter each one lengthwise. Trim away the seeds using the tip of your knife. (The seeds can make the dish watery.) Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Without crowding, add the squash to the dry skillet and cook, stirring often, until lightly blistered on both sides and tender to the point of a knife, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or jar with a lid, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, garlic, harissa and cumin to make the dressing. Stir or shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Place the squash in a large bowl and drizzle some of the dressing over the top. Toss to coat, and add more as needed. Sprinkle with the parsley. This dish is excellent served hot or room temperature or cold as a salad. If you serve it cold, make sure to taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper before serving, as chilling dulls the seasoning.

Note: Harissa is a spicy, aromatic, and flavorful chile paste used in Middle Eastern and North African cooking. The blend differs from country to country, but it's a puree of hot chile peppers, garlic, olive oil and spices such as cumin, coriander and caraway. You can find it at Middle Eastern markets, well-stocked gourmet stores and natural foods stores.

Art: Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)