Mediterranean feta, cucumber & olive checkerboard salad with fresh herbs

Bring a medium pot of water to the boil, blanch mint for 10 seconds, scoop out with a sieve, then plunge into an ice bath. Squeeze out excess moisture and pat dry with paper towels. Place mint and oil into a blender
and blend until smooth. Place in a sealed container in the fridge overnight.

Bring to room temperature. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, squeezing to extract as much oil as possible.

In a small bowl add half of the mint oil, lemon juice, zest, chilli, thyme and salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

On a medium serving platter, arrange feta, cucumber and olives in a chequerboard pattern and form into a neat rectangle.

To serve, generously drizzle over dressing and scatter over coriander.

TIPS Try basil instead of mint to make a delicious herb-infused dressing to drizzle over salads or chicken. The oil can be stored in the fridge for up to one month.