I just found out eating fresh citrus is part of a way to minimize (if not reverse) the effects of dry eye. So imagine my delight when I found a Care2 article on the benefits and uses of one of my favorite citrus fruits, limes.

This beautiful and good-tasting fruit can do much more than freshen water or garnish drinks. Limes are a hefty source of antioxidants and vitamins. They contain vitamins A, B, C, and D, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Limes are a fruit with AMAZING benefits. They can:

• Boost your immunity (thanks to their huge amounts of vitamins and minerals).

• Aid weight loss. They satisfy hunger pangs.

• Help you look younger, due to their high concentration of Vitamin C. This vitamin aids in the production of collagen, and collagen keeps your skin young. The antioxidants in limes also help fight free radicals that accelerate aging.

• Improve heart health (by reducing plaque buildup in arteries).

• Prevent dehydration. Many people don’t drink enough water simply because plain water is boring. If that’s you, squeezing lime juice into drinking water can make it taste amazing.

• Help treat asthma, again, due to their high vitamin content (especially Vitamin C).

• Help fight cancer, due to their large amount of phytochemicals.

• Help fight diabetes; they contain fiber, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Limes also give diabetics the much-needed potassium and vitamin C.

• Help prevent kidney stones, due to their citric acid content (which increases urine volume and urinary citrate).

• Help with dry eye syndrome, thanks to all of the above!

So you can see that if you could only eat one fruit for the rest of your life, you might want to consider the lime. They're savory, they're tart, and they're sweet — and often quite inexpensive! And they have so many applications. For instance:

If you have an abundance of greens (for gardeners it’s that time of year), then consider pairing them with lime, honey and fresh basil. Broccoli rabe, chard, kale, spinach, even collards work well. Use your greens in any combination; as long as you add a touch of fresh lime juice, it will work!

And I recently found a recipe on a favorite site, The Kitchn (www.thekitchn.com), that combined chickpeas (garbanzo beans), kale and sweet potatoes with smoked paprika, cumin, and lime. The presence of kale in this dish is probably what makes it a stew rather than a soup. The kale retains its curly, assertive texture to make this thick and hearty. The sweet potato and golden raisins add a touch of sweetness, and the chickpeas add minerals and even more fiber. But it’s the lime that knocks it out of the ballpark, healthwise!

The broth of this stew is a lovely mixture of flavors. And it’s the broth that transforms humble, potentially stodgy ingredients into something exciting to eat. Smoky paprika, earthy cumin, spicy red pepper, and bright, tart lime!

KALE, SWEET POTATO, and CHICKPEA STEW

1/2 bunch (large bunch) kale, cooked in salted boiling water for 5 or 10 minutes, till soft but still bright green.

1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned work well; rinse and drain)

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch dices

Olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

2 cloves (large cloves) garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped basil (fresh is best, but dried will work)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1/2 cup red wine (the alcohol cooks out)

2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked till soft and chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 dollop butter

1 lime, juiced

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1. Warm a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper and basil and cook till the shallots and garlic start to brown.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and cook till they start to brown and soften. Add the wine. Cook till it’s thick and syrupy.

3. Add the chickpeas, paprika, cumin, raisins and about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer till the sweet potato is nice and soft. You might need to add a cup or two more water as you go along, to keep it a consistency that you like.

4. Chop the kale into small pieces and add to the stew. Cook until everything is mixed and hot through.

5. Add the butter and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

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I’ll close with just a note on proper lime storage. They should stay fresh for about a week at room temperature if kept out of bright sunlight. For ideal storage, place them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They should keep for up to a month.