Signs of spring

Julia Child introduced pistou to home cooks long before anyone really knew about the now ubiquitous Italian pesto. Where pesto, which is from Genoa, is a blend of basil, garlic, pine nuts, and fruity olive oil, the Provencal condiment pistou combines the same ingredients without the nuts. Pistou can be tossed with pasta, eaten with a poached egg on top, or more typically, added for depth to soups near the end of cooking.

Vary the traditional recipe a little with tomato paste blended into the basil, and it becomes a warming element in a springtime soup of leeks, spring onions, peas, baby potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. This vegetarian version begins by simmering the heartier vegetables in water, then the other, lighter ingredients go into the soup. Although the French like to add chopped garlic to pistou, that's a little strong for most palates; try cooking the garlic with the initial ingredients in the pot.

While the soup simmers, combine the tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan for the pistou, then beat in olive oil. Swirl a little soup broth into the pistou, then add the pistou to the pot. Serve in bowls with Parmesan cheese and a little olive oil, and inhale the fresh garden aromas.

If there are any vegetables you don't like, simply substitute another vegetable (summer squash, even tender cabbage). A piece of Parmesan rind simmered in the pot adds immense flavor. At the end of cooking, there's always a scramble to see who's lucky enough to get to munch on it. -- JULIE RIVEN