Remove the casings from the Italian sausage.

Brown the sausage in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat.

Add the sliced celery to the saucepan.

Cook the celery and sausage together for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain off any excess fat from the saucepan.

Add the peeled and wedged tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), tomato juice, zucchini slices, salt, Italian seasoning, sugar, and garlic salt to the saucepan.

Stir to combine all ingredients.

Bring the stew to a simmer.

Cover the saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the green pepper pieces to the stew.

Continue to simmer, covered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until the green peppers are tender.

Garnish with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese before serving.

Serve hot with crusty French bread for dipping.