SHALLOTS ON THE PLOT

Shallots are closely related to the onion, yet have a more refined flavour and celebrity following, with TV chefs waxing lyrical about how they impart a better flavour to soups, stews, casseroles and even salads; yet I grow them because to me they taste sweeter and aren’t as fiery as some of their larger onion relatives.

Normally grown from sets, shallots reward you with not one large bulb, like an onion set would; they actually produce between six and 12 smaller-medium sized bulbs, which are the perfect size to