RICHMOND — The warm days of summer soon will be winding down and it’ll soon be time to think about hardier “indoor” food, like soups, stews and goodies from the oven, but there are still a few chances to have some summer fare on the grill before the chill winds of autumn give way to the gales of winter.

What could be a more appropriate (or fun) way to bid farewell to summer than with the most American of sandwiches, the burger.

The hamburger, a thick patty of ground beef, complete with a slice of onion, a slice of tomato, a bit of lettuce and maybe a slice of cheese, has become almost an icon of American dining.

The variations we Americans will consider with burgers are almost unlimited.

Californians are known to decorate them the avocado slices. Some people like catsup, some relish (corn or pickle) and some even like mustard as their preferred condiment. (I like a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce on mine!)

We’ve been known to melt everything from cheddar to goat cheese on them and the buns can range from white bread to sour dough to onion rolls.

Even the main ingredient changes from beef to ground pork to ground turkey to ground lamb — even — (shudder) to burgers made out of soybeans. There are even (double shudder) Spam burgers.

American as the hamburger is, it is generally accepted that the concept of forming beef into patties or “steaks” probably originated with the Mongols or Tartars, who would make it from tougher cuts of meat to create a more tender, palatable meal.

The idea was introduced into Germany, where its popularity with the poor people of Hamburg got it the appellation “Hamburg steak.” It is believed that it came to America with German immigrants and was shortened to “hamburger.”

Precisely where the idea of putting the patty in a bun and bedecking it with various vegetables and condiments originated is disputed. A number of locales in the states claim to have had the honor, but it is next to impossible to narrow down exactly which has best claim to the title.

Since burgers are so diverse anyway, why not try some “ethnic” burgers on the grill for one of your last summertime grilling sessions?

The versatility of burgers can inspire ethnic variations. By simply changing the type of meat used, or the spices, the toppings or the bun, we can make our burgers reflect certain kinds of ethnic dishes.

Why not accompany your burger with an appropriate ethnic side dish. Serve a nice Greek salad with Greek olives and feta cheese with your Greek burger, for example. Maybe a side of refried beans with your Tex-Mex burger.

The possibilities are not only unlimited, but fun as well!

Greek Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground lamb (use beef if you cannot find or don’t like lamb)

1 egg

1 T dried oregano

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 lb. feta cheese

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch-thick slices

Bottled Greek or Italian salad dressing

Preparation:

Place the egg in a large bowl and beat lightly. Add the lamb, oregano, nutmeg and garlic salt. Mix all together with your hands until well blended. Shape into patties and cook on grill to desired doneness. In the meantime, brush the eggplant slices with the salad dressing and grill, turning until done. Place the burgers on your favorite bun, then crumble some feta cheese over the top. Top with a slice of grilled eggplant.

Italian Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

1 T dried oregano

1 T dried basil

1 T dried Italian parsley

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1 lb. mozzarella cheese

1 bottle pizza sauce

Preparation:

Place the egg in a large bowl and beat lightly. Add the beef, oregano, basil, parsley, onion powder and

garlic salt. Mix together with your hands until well blended. Shape into patties and cook on grill to desired doneness. Just before you take them off the grill, melt a slice of mozzarella over the top. Place on a bun and top with pizza sauce.

Tex-Mex Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

1 T dried oregano

1 tsp. dried cumin

1 tsp. dried cilantro

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 lb. jalepano cheese

1 jar salsa (mild, medium or hot, to your taste)

Preparation:

Place egg in a large bowl and beat lightly. Add the beef, oregano, cumin, cilantro and garlic salt. Mix together with your hands until well blended. Shape into patties and cook on grill to desired doneness. Just before you take them off the grill, melt a slice of jalapeno cheese over the top. Place on a bun and top with the salsa of your liking.

Middle Eastern Burgers

in a Pocket *

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground lamb

1 egg

1 T dried oregano

1 T dried parsley

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. dried dill

1 T garlic salt

Shredded lettuce

Sour cream

1 package pita bread

1 cucumber, diced

Preparation:

In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Add the lamb, oregano, parsley, allspice. dill and garlic salt. Mix together with your hands until well blended. Shape into patties and cook on grill until done to your taste. When done, slice the pita bread in half and open to form a pocket. Chop the burgers and stuff into the pockets. Add a layer of shredded lettuce and top with sour cream then add some cucumber on top.

* The grilling is to give the burgers a charcoal flavor. If you want to save a step, eliminate the egg and just brown the meat in a pan on the stove and stir in herbs and spices. Drain off the grease and stuff the loose meat into the pockets, then top with lettuce and sour cream and add cucumber.