Where I live I am able to buy prime British beef reared by local farmers when I go to one of the monthly farmers' markets, which are becoming popular in many parts of the country.

The meat always looks good, tastes good, and the farmer, who has reared the beef, is usually on hand to answer any questions one may have.

This month try these delicious beef recipes, combining traditional flavours with some new ideas.

BEEF AND CIDER CASSEROLE

Ingredients: 1kg lean British stewing steak, cubed. 3 garlic cloves (optional). 2 medium onions, chopped. 2 large carrots, chopped. 2 sticks of celery, chopped. 225g mushrooms, sliced. 1 large potato, peeled and sliced. Grated zest of an orange. 600ml medium sweet cider. Teaspoon marmite. Tablespoon chopped parsley. Tablespoon plain flour. 2 tablespoons oil.

Method: Heat oil in a large pan. Cover meat cubes with flour and brown in hot oil. Remove and keep warm. Add crushed garlic, onions, celery and carrots to pan and cook for 1 minute. Add cider and bring to the boil, then add meat, marmite and potato. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Preheat oven 170/180C, 325/350F, Gas Mk 3-4. and cook for 1 hour. Add mushrooms and zest of orange and cook for a further 12-15 minutes. The potato should thicken the liquid, but you can make it thicker by adding one tablespoon of cornflour. Garnish with parsley. Serves 6-8 with mashed potatoes.

BEEF POT ROAST

This dish has a rich dark brown gravy, with the added flavour of the strong red wine and black olives.

Ingredients: 2kg lean topside or casseroling beef. 5ml olive oil. 3 large onions, peeled. 1 garlic clove. 125ml strong red wine. 10 dried prunes. 110g mushrooms. 110g stoned, tinned olives. Salt, pepper and a generous pinch of powdered ginger.

Method: Rub meat with salt, pepper and ginger. Heat oil in a pan. Slice onions very thinly, crush the garlic clove. Fry all together until soft and golden. Place prepared meat in a pot-type casserole.Pour all fried pan contents on top, add wine and cook at 140C, 275F, Gas Mk 1 for 2 hours. Cover prunes with hot, strained weak tea, and reduce liquid to 12 fluid ounces. Add tea, olives and prunes around the cooked meat in pot, cover and cook at same temperature for another 25-30 minutes. Turn into a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serves 6-8 with noodle or rice.

Note: If you are having roast beef this weekend, boned and rolled sirloin or rib are two good choices. Always weigh the joint and calculate the cooking time, allowing 15 minutes to 450g (1lb) plus 15 minutes for rare, or allow 20 minutes to 450g (1lb) plus 20 minutes for medium. Heat about 25g dripping or 1 tablespoon oil in meat tin, place meat in tin and brown thoroughly to seal the juices, then cook in pre-heated oven 220C, 425F, Gas Mark 7. The meat juices will make a rich, smooth gravy without the need for gravy browning or meat cubes.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING…. with a difference – it's almost a meal on its own.

Ingredients: 125ml milk. 25g butter. ½ teaspoon salt. 75g plain flour. 2 eggs. 25g diced Gruyere or any soft fondue type cheese. 1 tablespoon grated onion. 15g grated Gruyere. 15g diced Gruyere.

Method: Place milk, butter and salt in a small heavy duty pan and bring slowly to the boil so that the butter is dissolved. Add flour, turn off heat and beat well. Add eggs singly, beating each time until mixture is smooth. Stir in 25g diced cheese and grated onion. Pour mixture into a buttered shallow cooking tin. Sprinkle with 15g diced cheese and 15g grated cheese. Bake at 230C, 450F, Gas Mk 8 on top shelf for 25 minutes until golden brown and well risen.

HERBY MEAT BALLS

This is a good recipe for using up the remains of your beef joint.

Ingredients: 325g-350g minced beef. ¾ breakfast cup breadcrumbs. 1 medium sized egg. Salt and pepper. A good tablespoon mixed chopped herbs. 450g tin chopped tomatoes. 1 carrot. ½ red pepper & ½ a yellow pepper. 1 onion.

Method: Place mince in a basin and mix with breadcrumbs, egg and chopped herbs. Season well. Form into small balls and place to one side. Tomato sauce: Prepare the carrot and chop into tiny strips. Chop onion and peppers. Fry these ingredients in a little olive oil. Add tomatoes and season. Add various herbs to this sauce – ie whatever you have. I find cumin, coriander and paprika (½ teaspoon of each) and a pinch of cayenne pepper a good combination. Fry meat balls until lightly browned, place in a shallow dish with the sauce, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Serve piping hot with jacket potatoes and green vegetables.

February sees the World's Original Marmalade Festival, in Cumbria, so next month we will have some zesty preserve recipes and tips I picked up from a recent visit there. Pancake Day also falls next month and I will be featuring pancakes made with Alice and John's Organic Flour grown and milled on our own doorstep. More of this next month and in the February Long Melford & Lavenham Diary.