This legend finds Cleopatra, overcome by the summer heat, requesting her slaves to invent a new but refreshing salad from her favourite summer foods. Her personal chef combines soaked cracked wheat grains, freshly chopped green parsley, ripe tomato chunks, freshly chopped mint and chopped summer onion, dressing it with fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. An overjoyed Cleopatra ecstatically orders it named for her. Caesar was livid when he discovered his own chefs had been outdone and insists the name be changed to Tabouli. Frankly, I hardly believe that at that time,

when his own political career was hanging by a thread, Caesar would give a hoot about a salad.

Ingredients

• 250 ml very fine bulgur
• 150 g Italian parsley
• 3 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 small red onion, finely diced minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 125 ml lemon juice

Method

• Soak bulgur in enough fresh water for 30 minutes and drain well.
• Toss all ingredients in a large cooking bowl and add oil last.
• Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour