One of the unexpected pleasures of writing about food is the occasional goodie that arrives in the mail. Last week the kind and talented folks at Rainier Fruit Company in Selah, Washington–founded in 1888 and one of the largest apple, pear, blueberry, and cherry growers in the country–sent me a box of Lady Alice apples. Oh, my. Hard, crisp, and juicy with a winey, tart-sweet flavor, these apples have become a new favorite. They’re beautiful too–pinkish red with a soft yellow blush.

Although Lady Alice apples were discovered in 1978 by an apple grower in Gleed, Washington, Rainier introduced them only three years ago. They spent decades working to propagate the seedlings best characteristics and then named them after the company founder’s mother, Alice.

What’s special about these apples, aside from their rich flavor, is their availability. Supermarkets nationwide sell them from February through April, which means you can enjoy a snappy, fresh apple during a time when most other apples have become soft and mealy. That’s because most supermarket apples are harvested in the fall and then held in cold storage throughout the rest of the year.

While these apples can be cooked, I think they’re best enjoyed fresh. You can smear them with roasted almond butter, add them to plain goat’s milk yogurt sweetened with pure maple syrup, or toss them with slivered endive, crumbled aged goat cheese, toasted pistachio nuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette for an early spring salad. Then, again, you can savor them plain and simple–just cut into wedges, as I did this morning.