Shallots
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I always used to grow shallots from sets which are essentially an immature bulb which is heat treated to prevent bolting. They are easy to grow and do allow you to get a head start on the season. From one shallot bulb you will get up to 10 separate bulbs when ready to harvest.
Although they can go in the ground now, assuming the soil is workable, I have usually tried to get these in during late winter. I've found though that with increasingly wet winters they have had a tendency to bolt quite early on (yes I know, even though they are heat treated and shouldn't they can still bolt!.
Last year I decided to just grow them from seed and they have been relatively successful.
This year I've decided I'll have another go at sets. I'm growing Golden Gourmet which produces a round shallot and at £2.50 for a 500g net they are quite economical. There are approx 18 bulbs and if each grows well they give quite a significant harvest and should also be ready for the Saughall Annual Gardening Show in August.
I will also be growing shallots from seed but will grow a heritage variety called Zebrune. These are banana shallots and are brownish-pink skinned with an excellent flavour.
I was very confused the first year of growing shallots from seed. It may seem obvious to most but it didn't to me at the time - when growing shallots from sets, one bulb produces up to 10 separate bulbs. However when you grow from seed you only get one shallot from one plant - although it's a much larger shallot. I thought I'd done something wrong when I could only find one shallot growing!