Jane Ryan, co-owner of Donovan's in Bellows Falls, Vt., gets a plate of corned beef ready for a customer on St. Patrick's Day on Friday, March 17, 2023. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) Credit: Kristopher Radder / The Brattleboro Reformer via AP

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Sandy Oliver’s recent food column was not only a month late for a boiled dinner on St. Patrick’s Day, she went into great detail about making it, while missing the main point. She spoke about the gray corned beef, but neglected to tell how to make it. The Marjorie Standish recipe for corned beef is so much fun and healthier!

Add water to a large crock. I bought mine at Walmart for $13. Keep adding salt (I use kosher) while stirring, until a raw unpeeled potato floats to the top of the water. Take out the potato, add one or two beef roasts making sure they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 10-14 days. Fun and done. I do this in the fall and around St. Patrick’s Day or whenever there’s a good sale on roasts.

Jane Newcomb

Owls Head