queen of the meadow blooms tearoom

 
Pour a steaming cup of coffee or tea, which is set up every morning at 7:30 a.m. on an old baker's cupboard in the queen of the meadow blooms tearoom, an 1890 railroad passenger car. To prepare you for a busy day of scouting the local area, a breakfast consisting of a muffin, scone, quick bread or coffeecake, fresh fruit, hot entree, and juice is served on 1940s era Homer Laughlin china. Kitchen utensil mobiles and old hankies tied onto lampshade frames hang overhead tables covered with mismatched vintage linens. Food is prepared with organic and locally-grown ingredients. I receive a weekly basket of freshly picked produce from our local CSA farm and hand-select fruits, vegetables, and herbs from Brainerd's weekly farmers market. I pick berries at a growers farm outside of Brainerd. In-season bounty determines the week's menu. I also purchase organic items from our local food coop. Our free-roaming "Black Star" and "Red Star" brown-egg laying hens are fed organic chicken feed and garden veggie scraps. A signature entree, Flossie's Eggs on the Rails, was named after our most prolific laying hen and the railroad car where guests' breakfast is served. The recipe was one of three selected from submissions thoughout Minnesota's bed and breakfasts that was included in the jacket insert of an instrumental music CD.