It made sense to me. After all, I had spent a lovely couple of days with my friends in St. Jean de Luz and, much like fish after three days, I decided to leave the love-birds and gradually make my way toward Antibes Juan-les-Pins which is located geographically between Nice and Cannes. At one time, I was covering a story (see Une Sale Affaire) and had stayed  at the Hotel Villa Nina 5 rue Sainte Marguerite, right off the Boulevard du Littoral. During my working sejour, I became good friends with then Principal Inspecteur Lambert of the Police Nationale. I must had complained and bothered him enough that I was tired of eating in restaurants that he finally invited to dinner. Persistence does pay off. His wife Arlette had made a simple but delicious vegetable ragout with pesto. I have never forgotten that meal nor that special evening with my new found friends. The closest I have found to that ragout is the recipe below.

Pairing pistou, an herb sauce made with fresh basil, with tender spring vegetables makes for a bright-tasting seasonal entrée.  Please don’t shrink from attempting this dish just because it looks daunting, it really is not and most of the ingredients you probably already have at home hiding in the back of your cavernous refrigerators. And whatever you don’t have, your little corner green grocer can surely help you.   

Ragoût de légumes au pistou

(with thanks to Patricia Wells at Home in Provence)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 globe artichokes
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1⁄2 cup plus 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced, plus 8 cloves
peeled and left whole
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bouquet garni (3 sprigs each summer savory, thyme, and parsley, tied together with kitchen twine)
3⁄4 cup white wine
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 lb. fresh peas in their pods, shelled and blanched, or 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 lb. fava beans in their pods, shelled and blanched, skins removed
20 asparagus tips, blanched
Directions:
Combine lemon juice and 6 cups water in a large bowl. Working with one artichoke at a time, place artichoke on its side. Using a serrated knife, cut off leaves by making a crosswise cut about 1 1⁄2″ from where the stem meets the base; discard leaves. Cut away tough outer leaves remaining on artichoke’s base until you reach inner yellow leaves. Using a peeler, remove green outer layer from stem and base. Trim off bottom 1⁄2″ of stem. Use a spoon to scoop out fuzzy choke from center of artichoke. Quarter trimmed artichoke; transfer to lemon water. Repeat with remaining artichokes.
To make the pistou, combine the basil, 1⁄2 cup olive oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a small food processor and process until smooth; set aside.
Drain artichokes. Heat remaining oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat; add the garlic cloves, onions, bouquet garni, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the artichokes, wine, tomatoes, and 1⁄2 cup water; cook, covered, until artichokes are tender, about 25 minutes. Add the peas, fava beans, and asparagus and cook until tender, about 3 minutes; remove and discard the bouquet garni. 

Serving suggestions: Divide mixture between four bowls, top each with a generous spoonful of pistou, and serve with crusty bread and a bon vin de pays. 

Now about those wines: 
Well I can safely say I am not looking too far from the origins of this recipe. Therefore, a few solid recommendations without any hesitation whatsoever are as follows: 

Côtes du Rhône – Châteauneuf-du-Pape 

Languedoc Roussillon – Corbières 

Languedoc Roussillon – Coteaux du Languedoc

Côtes du Rhône – Gigonda

Provence – Coteaux d’Aix
Côtes du Rhône – Côtes du Rhône-Villages