Instructions: There is nothing more tantalizing to the palate than the foods of summer. And hamburgers take center stage, grilled on the deck and served up with pitchers of iced tea, platters of sliced garden tomatoes, and fresh corn on the cob.

Mine is a very simple recipe. I start with 2 pounds freshly ground sirloin from our butcher shop up the road. I mix it lightly with a cup of soft bread crumbs, a beaten egg, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. Then I form it into 8 quarter-pound patties, just a bit larger than the buns upon which they will be served. Then I chill the patties until ready to cook.

Grill over hot coals for about 5 minutes per side for a pink center, 7 minutes per side for a well-done burger. Unfortunately rare burgers are no longer an option unless we grind the meat ourselves. I serve them in the winter with macaroni and cheese and either a green vegetable or salad, depending upon my mood and what is on hand to prepare.

The recipe for Stans Southern Burger from "The Healthy College Cookbook" (written by Alexandra Nimetz, Emeline Starrt and Jason Stanley)

contains lean ground beef, whole-wheat breadcrumbs and mushrooms. Bottled salsa and hot red pepper sauce adds some zip.

A more exotic blend of flavors can be found in the recipe for the South by Birch Lane Press.

This recipe is not prepared by a clown, though, it is a gourmets delight, containing: extra-lean ground beef, chopped pecans, onions, salt, ground cloves, a jar of baby food strained peaches, brown sugar, cider vinegar and ground ginger. and no collection of burgers would be complete without the classic A-1 Burger.

This recipe can also be found in The Complete Hamburger. This recipe calls for extra-lean ground beef, onion, salt, ground black pepper, marjoram, parsley flakes, butter and A-1 Steak Sauce.

Before we depart from burgers, I have to share a recipe from a friend, JoAnna Lund. Her barbecue burgers are simply called barbecues in my part of the country, but under JoAnnas magic touch, they become low in fat and still satisfy that sandwich craving. Her Barbecue Burgers are found in The Heart Smart Publishing Group. They contain 90% lean ground turkey, onion, celery, mushrooms, Healthy Request brand tomato juice, Heinz Light Harvest ketchup, chili powder, black pepper, quick-cooking tapioca and are served on a reduced-calorie hamburger bun.

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