2 tablespoons sesame seeds
7 ounces feta cheese
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
3/4 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
20 mint leaves
10 pitted black olives, halved
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Toast seeds in dry pan over low heat, stirring, until nutty and golden, 3 minutes. Cool. Gently rinse feta in cold water. Drain on paper towel. Cut feta into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss feta together with fennel, sesame seeds, lemon zest and juice, oil and pepper to coat each cube well. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to allow flavors to combine. Sprinkle feta with chopped mint and toss to coat each cube well. Cut cucumber into 20 ( 1/2-inch) cubes. Thread 1 mint leaf, 1 olive half, 1 cucumber cube and 1 feta cube onto each skewer. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Makes 20 skewers.