Frittata with a Middle Eastern vibe for dinner or brunch

Thank goodness for the frittata. Along with the chopped salad, the pasta bowl, the soup and the taco, this egg dish represents one of my go-to strategies for showcasing vegetables - and sometimes leftovers - in a new, but still quick, way.

There are lots of paths to a great frittata, which you can think of as an open-faced omelet, but I tend to stick to one: I cook my aromatic vegetable base in a cast-iron skillet, add whatever other ingredients I want to cook (this time of year, it's been cherry tomatoes and fresh corn), scrape them out of the skillet after they're done, then pour in whisked eggs.

I let the eggs cook, lifting them around the edges periodically to let some of the liquid run underneath so they set in layers. Then I return the vegetables to the top, add dollops of cheese and pop the thing under the broiler to finish cooking.

I've had good frittatas (frittati, technically) that were made differently, with the other ingredients mixed directly in with the eggs, Spanish tortilla-style.

In her new book, "One Pan, Two Plates: Vegetarian Suppers," Carla Snyder flips the script, literally: Her recipe for a Persian Zucchini Frittata has you cook the vegetables, then pour the eggs over them before broiling.

Snyder's frittata works beautifully, with the eggs browning and puffing up in the oven. But the real charm of it is in the surprising ingredients: Turmeric, browned onion, ginger and garlic lend the zucchini mixture a deeply savory flavor, while a little cooked rice adds heft. Most unusual of all: crunchy, tart pomegranate seeds as a garnish.

Snyder's mission is to provide interesting less-cleanup, smaller-yield recipes for couples, but I have to admit that the first thing I thought when I made it was, Wouldn't this be the perfect thing to triple or quadruple for a brunch party?

• Joe Yonan is the Food and Dining editor of The Washington Post and the author of "Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook." He writes the Food section's Weeknight Vegetarian column.