Bert Sutcliffe Village resident Robyn swears by her ratatouille recipe from her much-loved copy of the Joy of Cooking, given to her by her next door neighbour in 1964.

Robyn and her husband had just moved into a house in Turramurra, NSW and their removal van had parked across their neighbour’s driveway when she was trying to get to the bank.

“She wasn’t very happy with us, but we ended up as very good friends.

“The book was given to me by her as a peace offering!”

Robyn's favourite ratatouille recipe comes from her trusty Joy of Cooking book.

Moving to New Zealand in 1976 and with four children to cook for, Robyn said the ratatouille recipe was a firm family favourite which she would cook up every couple of weeks when the veggies were in season.

“It’s also a popular choice for dinner parties, either as a side dish with a nice roast lamb or you could have it with rice,” she says.

“It’s a great winter warmer!”

Robyn says it’s a very straightforward recipe and the way the flavours of veggies including aubergine, capsicum and courgette blend together makes it delicious on the day or for leftovers the next day.