Using up leftover corned beef is never a problem, but here is a soup I developed recently that’s been a big hit. It’s actually corned beef and cabbage (“boiled dinner” in Maine) in a bowl, and since it has all the elements of chowder – salted or cured meat, potatoes, onions, broth – it’s going to be included in my upcoming book, “Chowderland,” to be published by Storey in 2015.St. Patrick’s Chowder

You can make this from scratch or substitute leftover boiled dinner vegetables – cooked potatoes, carrots and cabbage – and simply add them at the end of the cooking time. Serve this with grapefruit and avocado salad and buttered rye toast.

Serves 5 to 6

6 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water, plus additional if necessary

1½ pounds red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled and diced (about 4 ½ cups)

5 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried

1 pound corned beef, shredded into bite-size pieces or cut into ½-inch dice (about 4 cups)

10 ounces cabbage, sliced (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt, if needed

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter in a large soup pot, add the onion and cook over medium heat until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add broth and water along with the potatoes, carrots and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 10 minutes.

Add corned beef and cabbage and simmer uncovered over medium heat until potatoes and cabbage are tender, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and season with the pepper; it may not need salt due to the saltiness of the corned beef.

Serve immediately, or let it sit at room temperature for an hour or two and reheat, or cool and refrigerate for up to two days.

Reheat over low heat, adding a bit more water if necessary, stir in the parsley, ladle into bowls and serve.

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Serves 4 to 6

Basic vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ cup good olive oil, or a combination of olive and vegetable oils

Salad:

1 small head oak leaf or other bright green lettuce, separated into leaves

1 grapefruit, sectioned

1 large or two small avocados, peeled and sliced

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, shallots, mustard and sugar. Whisk in the oil. Use immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Shake or whisk again before using.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Arrange grapefruit and avocado over the top. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently “Lobster!” (Storey, 2012). She lives on the Blue Hill peninsula, and can be contacted via Facebook at:

facebook.com/brookedojny