I sow mine direct in the veg patch in rows 10 ft long and thin them to about 8" apart and one row provides the two of us with at least one meal a week throughout late summer and autumn with the occasional picking later through the winter depending on the weather.
My second sowing didn't do well over the winter - I think they'd have probably done better without the mini-polytunnel protection. The first sowing stood up to the snow perfectly well and we're still picking it, but as Italophile says, when the weather warms up it'll run to seed and I'll pull it up.
I'll sow another row as soon as the soil conditions improve.